The U.S. government left its food-price inflation forecast unchanged in a monthly report and projected that a sharp climb in prices will abate in 2012. The price for all food in 2011 is expected to rise between 3.5% and 4.5%, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, followed by an increase of 2.5%-3.5% in 2012. Both projections, along with all of the various food categories in the report, were unchanged from a month ago, reports Dow Jones.

In October, the USDA had increased its 2011 food-inflation forecast by half of a percentage point, reflecting sharply higher commodity costs. Consumers are seeing the biggest jump in prices in the meat aisle, with the USDA projecting meat prices to climb 6.5%-7.5% in 2011, followed by a 3.5%-4.5% increase next year. Soaring feed costs and strong export demand has helped push prices of beef and pork to record highs this year.