CHARITIES are struggling to stay afloat amid increasing demand for food, research shows.

Britain’s largest food rescue charity, the Felix Project, has found more than 80 per cent of the organisations it supplies could be at risk were it not for the redistributed surplus food they receive.

Felix said that without rescued food that cannot be sold in stores, a third would have to close their food support and half would need to scale back their work.

Two in five charities that receive food from the project said they have seen an increase in demand over the past year amid rising fuel and food prices.

A recent report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit warned that household staples like bread and pasta are set to remain more expensive in the long term despite slowly easing inflation figures.

Felix chief executive Charlotte Hill said: “The current situation is a perfect storm.

“Food inflation means more people simply cannot afford to feed themselves and their families and have no choice but to turn to a charity.

“At the same time the charity sector is seeing higher costs and reduced donations.”