Shoppers are cutting back on their pre-Christmas food spending amid high inflation and worries over the Budget, the head of the food and drink industry group has warned.

Karen Betts of the Food & Drink Federation (FDF) blamed higher taxes and government red tape for pushing up prices in the shops.

And she claimed that businesses and consumers are holding back on spending while they wait to see the impact of the Budget on 26 November, which is widely expected to increase taxes on households and firms.

This comes as The i Paper revealed the costs of supermarket own-label products such as eggs and better are rising .

Consumer group, Which?, said premium own-brand food and drink has the highest rate of inflation compared with other ranges, with prices for these products up 8.6 per ce

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