SALES of organic eggs are on the up, with latest figures from the Soil Association revealing the market grew by 7.4% on the year, compared to just 6% for all organic produce.

Growth was strongest on the run up to Christmas due to food scares, particularly fipronil, which the association claimed encouraged people to switch to organic.

The increase in the organic egg market was well ahead of non-organic egg sales at 3.5%, too.

"It is really very good news for organic eggs," said Finn Cottle, trade director at the Soil Association.

"Organic eggs now account for 6.9% of all egg sales in this country, which I think is the highest penetration I can recall for quite a few years and it is higher than milk, which is one sector I always look to for a comparison."

According to the Soil Association report, organic makes up 5.9% of the milk market.

The overall organic market is now worth £2.2bn in the UK with last year representing the sixth consecutive year that sales grew. There were increases in both high street and online sales, too, with independent retail sales growing by 9.7%; home delivery by 9.5% and supermarket sales by 4.2%.

“One of the biggest stories for organic over the past couple of years has been the rise of online shopping, and it’s a trend that shows no sign of slowing down," said Clare McDermott, business development director at Soil Association Certification.

"Driven by convenience, an ever broader range of choice, and by younger generations entering the market, it’s no surprise online sales are outperforming the traditional supermarket on organic. Online retail is also able to adapt and innovate at a faster pace than in-store, bringing new and trend-led products to market, and people are recognising that they can often find a better range online," she said.

"Home delivery already accounts for almost 13%t of the organic market and the expectation is that this could reach as much as 25% in the near future. It’s a good fit for organic too: the local, fresh, farm-to-door approach of box schemes is in line with the ethos of organic and appeals to consumers who value food provenance.”