Mindful Brits looking to shop more ethically whilst keeping their food bill low have been advised on the organic grocery items with the smallest price hikes.
Buying organic produce always costs more than regular items, but now researchers from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed the products that typically have the highest and lowest price increases.
Organic vegetables, fruit, eggs, milk and meat is produce that is grown or farmed without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers.
This also means that organic livestock raised for meat, eggs, and dairy products must have access to the outdoors and be given organic feed.
As a result, organic foods often have more beneficial nutrients, and people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives often find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat only organic foods.
But this also means that organic produce is more expensive than conventionally grown food.
Shoppers might think that all organic products come with a price increase that’s steep enough to prevent them ever considering shopping more ethically, but NetVoucherCodes ‘ research proves this isn’t always the case.
The team looked at the prices of 17 typical organic and non-organic food items in three major supermarkets to work out an average cost and calculate the price increases.
Surprisingly, a tub of organic white mushrooms is typically only 1% more expensive than the regular kind, and a packet of organic salted butter is usually only around 30p more expensive.
Other food products that have the lowest price increase for organic varieties include onions, houmous, and even milk.
The most expensive food item to buy organic is – perhaps unsurprisingly – a whole chicken. Organic varieties cost a whopping £10.97 on average, compared to just £3.35 to buy normally.
Organic baked beans are typically 140% more expensive than regular tins, and bell peppers have a 97% price increase.
A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “Deciding whether to watch your wallet or shop ethically doesn’t always have to be a major trade off.
“As our research shows, you can make better decisions on the food you buy and eat without spending a fortune.
“If you swap just three or four items for their organic alternatives in your grocery shop each week, it could cost you as little as 93p more.
“Certain products are also going to cost lots more to produce organically, and these prices are reflected in their price tag. Even an organic bag of carrots is roughly about 83% more expensive than a regular bag.
“But for others – like mushrooms, milk and onions – the price difference is relatively minimal, yet the quality and taste of the food is likely much better.”
