(Recasts with economists' comments)
By Jan Strupczewski
BRUSSELS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Cheaper food and fuel pulled down the euro zone consumer price index in October for a fifth month running in annual terms, data confirmed on Monday, but inflation is expected to return in November.
Prices in the 16-country area rose 0.2 percent last month compared with September but dipped 0.1 percent year-on-year, European Union statistics agency Eurostat said.
Economists polled by Reuters had on average expected 0.3 percent monthly inflation for October after Eurostat on Oct. 30 estimated the annual fall to be 0.1 percent.
"In November, inflation will turn again positive. Our preliminary estimate is 0.5 percent year-on-year," said Marco Valli, economist at UniCredit.
The Eurostat data showed energy prices fell 0.2 percent on the month and 8.5 percent year-on-year. Food prices were flat against September and 1.5 percent lower than a year before.
The downward pull from fuel is likely to disappear in November because of a change in the comparison numbers, economists said.
"This will continue through to the end of the year -- between October and December last year, energy prices in the euro zone fell by 12 percent," said Eoin O'Callaghan, economist at BNP Paribas.
"As a result, we expect headline inflation to move above 1 percent by the end of the year."
In year-on-year terms, fuel for transport, gas, heating oil and food had the biggest downward impact on the index. Month-on -month, it was petrol and food.
Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, was 0.3 percent on the month and 1.0 percent year-on-year, the latter down from 1.1 percent in September and 1.2 percent in August.
The European Central Bank wants inflation to be just below 2 percent over the medium term and has kept interest rates unchanged at a record low of 1 percent since May. It watches the core number closely for signs of inflationary pressure.
Economists expect that despite signs of economic recovery, the ECB will keep interest rates unchanged until late 2010 because inflation is low and inflation expectations are anchored at the ECB's price stability target.
"Economic activity is unlikely to be strong enough to generate significant inflationary pressures for some considerable time to come due to the still serious economic and financial handicaps that the region faces," said Howard Archer, economist at IHS Global Insight. (Editing by Dale Hudson)