The organic supply chain needs to become more transparent, if it is to hang on to consumers who now demand more information about their food.

Researchers at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne say UK consumers are increasingly questioning the quality, origin and authenticity of the food they buy and shunning products that are unable to sate their curiosity.

Dr Kirsten Brandt, at the north-east University, is advising retailers to provide customers with stronger sourcing and supply information on foods in their organics category.

“Our earlier research found that many people buy organic because they want to avoid the current situation in mass food retail, where the majority of produce is anonymous,” she said.

The consumer is no longer gullible to stories of “fairy tale” landscapes on packaging, added Brandt, saying that retailers should be more open with consumers on organic foodif as they claim, their offer is tailored to specific demand.

“Retailers can then look at finding cost-effective solutions to fulfil some of the consumer’s wishes. This could involve building a stronger relationship with one or two suppliers and revising their packaging to reflect this,” said Brandt, one of the leaders of the EU-funded organic HACCP project.

The EU organic market reached around €10 billion in 2002, according to data from UK market analysts Organic Monitor, but growth has slowed in recent years: an increase of eight per cent between 2001 and 2002 shrunk to an estimated five per cent between 2002 and 2003.

At the beginning of 2004, about four per cent of UK farmland - 696,000 hectares - was under organic production, up from 30,000 hectares in 1993. The market is projected to grow by nine per cent a year to 2007.