China's April inflation rises to 8.5 pct

The sharpest inflation has been limited to food but the costs of raw materials and energy are edging up, raising pressure for producers to pass on rising prices to consumers.

April's nonfood inflation was 1.8 percent, matching March, which was the highest in more than a year, according to the government data. The rate stayed at or below 1 percent through 2006 and '07.

Producer prices rose 8.1 percent in April, driven by rising energy costs, according to the government.

April's 22.1 percent rise in food costs was fueled by a 68.3 percent jump in the price of pork, 46.6 percent in that of cooking oil and 13.6 percent for fresh vegetables.

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