ConAgra Foods Inc reported lower quarterly earnings on Tuesday, hurt by higher costs for flour, and said it sees commodity costs for the year rising more than previously expected.

The maker of Hunt's ketchup, Chef Boyardee pasta and Pam cooking spray earned $85.3 million, or 20 cents per share, in its fiscal first quarter that ended on August 28, compared with $146.4 million, or 33 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding one-time items, ConAgra earned 29 cents per share.

Sales rose 9.5 percent to $3.07 billion, helped by price increases. Analysts on average forecast $2.94 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The results come a day after ConAgra walked away from its months-long pursuit of Ralcorp Holdings Inc after being repeatedly spurned by the maker of Post cereals and private-label foods.

(Reporting by Brad Dorfman in Chicago. Additional reporting by Martinne Geller in New York; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)