Food prices continued to rise in July but at a slower pace than previous months, according to the latest inflation data from Statistics Canada. The consumer price index rose to 3.3 per cent in July on an annual basis, data released by the bureau on Tuesday revealed. One contributing factor was grocery prices, which remain elevated, the data show. Grocery costs rose 8.5 per cent year-over-year in July as fresh fruit prices dropped, following a 9.1 per cent rise in grocery prices the month prior. In June, the cost of fresh fruit increased to 10.4 per cent, but that growth slowed in July, when fruit prices rose 4.1 per cent. Statistics Canada attributed much of the slowdown to lower monthly prices for grapes in particular, which fell 40.9 per cent, and oranges, which dropped 1.8 per cent. Baked goods also saw a pricing cooldown with a 9.8 per cent rise in July year-over-year, compared with the 12.9 per cent increase in June, the report said.