By Shoppers urged not to panic buy in midst of border shutdown as France and UK begin talks within hours
Britain’s second biggest supermarket has warned gaps may start to appear on shelves within days after France’s ban on freight from the UK, following the Prime Ministers fears of food shortages within two weeks.
Sainsbury’s said there would be shortages on products including lettuce, salad leaves and cauliflowers if transport ties with the continent are not restored quickly.
They reassured shoppers by saying:
“All products for the Great British Christmas lunch are already in the country and we have plenty of these”.
Its warning echoed a statement from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which said that fresh food supplies face serious disruption over Christmas should the borders remain closed.
France has not banned lorries from travelling into Britain, but the worry is that hauliers will not want to enter the country if they cannot then go back home.
Sainsbury’s said:
“If nothing changes, we will start to see gaps over the coming days on lettuce, some salad leaves, cauliflowers, broccoli and citrus fruit – all of which are imported from the Continent at this time of year”.
“We hope the UK and French governments can come to a mutually agreeable solution that prioritises the immediate passage of produce and any other food at the ports”.
However, shoppers are being urged not to panic buy in the midst of the border shutdown, as Transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said cross-EU talks will take place within hours to “establish a solid health protocol” that could begin to unblock the port of Dover and ensure that movement from the UK can resume.
The British Retail Consortium‘s director of food and sustainability, Andrew Opie, expressed:
“Shoppers should not panic buy – retailers will be making every effort to ensure there is stock within the system, including fresh produce, and it is important that we remember that inbound traffic still has access to the UK”.
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