1.  Because the extra spending had been released by falling food prices, manufacturing employers did not lose their relative advantage by having to pay higher money wages.

2.  Financial markets rallied after the government reported that falling food prices last month offset surging oil costs.

3.  Russian inflation figures are not seasonally adjusted, and falling food prices in late summer typically bring down the index.

4.  Wholesale prices in Germany fell again in December, owing to falling food and energy prices, data published by the Federal Statistics Office on Friday showed.