Sales of organic baby food up 175%

SALMON risotto, sweet potato with pumpkin, apples and blueberries – organic food for babies is soaring in popularity as Britain's parents defy the recession and choose the best for their toddlers, a new report shows.

Despite cuts in other household costs, latest research shows parents are willing to pay 20 to 30 per cent more on baby food. Organic products' share of the infant food market increased to 48.1 per cent last year, up from 46.5 per cent the previous year.

The report in the trade magazine the Grocer found that while the organic market as a whole saw an 11 per cent decline in sales last year, organic baby food brands, particularly the smaller players, had raced ahead.

Sales of Ella's Kitchen, Organix and Plum were all up impressively according to the report. Leading the pack was Ella's Kitchen, where sales grew by 174 per cent.

Ella's Kitchen chief executive Paul Lindley said: "At the start of 2009 we were worried the recession would affect the continued positive growth of our business, but it has been an amazing year."

The Organix company said sales of its organic snack-based finger foods grew by more than 25 per cent over 2009.

Managing director Anna Rosier said that the strength of Organix was creating adult-style food and making it nutritious, exciting and appealing for children.

"Mothers want to feed their babies a diverse palette of foodstuffs to include a wide variety of tastes, colours and textures to avoid their children becoming fussy eaters," she said.

Plum, another organic brand, has seen growth of about 20 per cent – "the best since we launched in 2006", said Patrick Cairns, the company's chief executive.

"While people are making cutbacks in other areas of expenditure, babies are an exception," Mr Cairns said.

One reason for the increasing sophistication of recipes is believed to be the rise in the average age at which many women are now having their babies.

A report by market research analysts Mintel said: "Older mothers are more likely to be informed about baby nutrition and better off financially, and are therefore more able to pay for quality and convenience."

Sainsbury's baby food and accessories buyer Carol Morrison said: "Organic is extremely important in baby food, snacks and premium ranges."

The organic food market was worth 2.1 billion in 2008 according to research by the Soil Association. Clio Turton, spokeswoman for the association, which regulates organic food producers, said: "We're pleasantly surprised that sales of organic baby food have increased so much, but not shocked."

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