Organic food sales have dropped more than at any time in the last 10 years, new research has found.

Experts are warning that consumers are more confused than ever about whether it is worth paying the higher prices, especially while they are trying to reign in their spending.

Figures collected for The Guardian by market research company TNS show spending on organic food and drinks fell from a peak of nearly £100 million a month earlier this year to £81m in the most recent four-week period.

The fall has been reported across a range of categories, including fresh produce, dairy, chicken and eggs, which saw the steepest fall.

Edward Garner, of TNS, said: “We're certainly seeing a dip, the question is: is [it] a dip that is bouncing back again or it could be the start of a real drop.”

The Soil Association, the organic industry lobby group, said its figures, which are dominated by smaller producers, showed some decline, not a dramatic fall.

Helen Browning, the association's director of food and farming, said: "I predict [demand] will plateau a bit but not decline.

"These values are important to people still - the concern about the way we farm, the way the countryside is under threat at times, about animal welfare.”

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