Maltese households spent €651.5 million on food last year, according to figures released by the National Statistics Office.

In a statement o the occasion of World Food Day tomorrow, the NSO said that food expenditure last year was estimated to have increased by 15.6 percent over the previous year.

In 2007, this had gone up by 8.8 percent over 2006.

Last year household spending was highest on bread and cereals, meat, and dairy products, including eggs, with expenditure rising by €20.8 million, €17.4 million and €6.8 million, respectively.

But the biggest increase was recorded in expenditure on fish, on which Maltese households are estimated to have spent €78.8 million in 2008.

Expenditure on vegetables and fruit was practically unchanged.

The NSO said that food inflation in 2008, on the 12-month moving average basis, was highest in respect of pasta, vegetables, flour and bakery products, cheese, butter and margarine.

Current figures for 2008 put the value of imported foodstuffs at €438 million, notably cereals and prepared foods, meat and fish.

Malta's food exports had an estimated value of €158.2 million, more than half of which were fresh or prepared fish.