Top food store chiefs warn a no-deal Brexit could threaten UK’s food security
- Almost one third of the food consumed in the UK comes from the European Union
- Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco did not join in on the warning to MPs on eve of vote
Bosses at top supermarkets and food chains on Monday urged British lawmakers to avoid a no-deal Brexit or risk reducing the availability of many products.
On the eve of parliament’s vote on unlocking the Brexit impasse, 10 food chiefs plus industry body the British Retail Consortium (BRC) called on MPs to work “urgently to find a solution that avoids the shock of a no-deal Brexit on 29 March and removes … risks for UK consumers.
“We anticipate significant risks to maintaining the choice, quality and durability of food that our customers have come to expect in our stores, and there will be inevitable pressure on food prices from higher transport costs, currency devaluation and tariffs,” they said in a letter to MPs.
“We are extremely concerned that our customers will be among the first to experience the realities of a no-deal Brexit,” they added.
The letter was signed by supermarkets Asda, Co-op, Costcutter, Lidl, Sainsbury and Waitrose, as well as food retailer Marks & Spencer joined KFC, McDonald’s and sandwich chain Pret A Manger.