Latte coffee will be used to measure UK inflation

The Office of National Statistics said on Monday brown ale, cat litter, tinned spaghetti and vinyl flooring were on their way out "to reflect changing tastes and spending patterns."

The basket is based on a survey of consumer's spending habits and contains 650 goods and services.

Shopping basket IN round lettuce diet-aid drink powder takeaway caffe latte takeaway kebab draught premium lager air fares designer spectacles hair and shower gel OUT brown ale men's belt battery powered clock electronic keyboard lead replacement petrol fixed telephone laundrette charge dry cat food Is the takeaway latte the right symbol for modern Britain?

The Retail Prices Index - the main measure of UK inflation - is updated annually and is used to measure inflation.

Len Cook, the National Statistician, said: "Households appear to be changing their eating habits to cope with busy lives, changing tastes and leisure patterns."

The changes will be used in the February RPI figure, which is due out on Tuesday.

Today's fast-paced lifestyle has seen an increasing use of takeaways and convenience foods, plus the growth of coffee shop chains such as Starbucks or Cafe Nero.

Frozen fish in sauce, fixed telephone handsets, women's slips and lead replacement petrol are no longer used in the basket because consumers spend less money on these items.