Dec 14 (Reuters) - Top Australian grocer Woolworths Group on Tuesday forecast a drop in first-half operating income from its domestic food business.

The company said it expected earnings before income tax (EBIT) of between A$1.19 billion and A$1.22 billion ($870.4 million-$849 million) from its Australian food business, down from A$1.31 billion last year. ($1 = 1.4017 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi; Editing by Aditya Soni)