LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The United Nations world food

price index eased slightly in July according to data released on

Friday, with a decline in the index for cereals partially offset

by increases for meat, vegetable oils and sugar.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's price index,

which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged

120.8 points in July, down from 121.0 in June. The June reading

was revised after initially being given as 120.6.

Prior to July, the FAO index had risen for four consecutive

months after hitting a three-year low in February as food prices

receded from a record peak set in March 2022, following Russia's

invasion of fellow crop export major Ukraine.

The July value was 3.1% down on its level one year ago and

24.7% below its 2022 high point.