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Britain’s second-largest supermarket has warned that shelf gaps will start to appear within days of France’s ban on the transport of goods from the UK.
Sainsbury’s said there would be a shortage of products such as lettuce, salad greens and cauliflower if transportation ties with the mainland are not quickly restored.
However, the supermarket said it had “many” items needed for “the great British Christmas lunch.”
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His warning echoed a statement from the Food and Beverage Federation (FDF), which said fresh food supplies are facing a “serious disruption” over Christmas.
France has not banned trucks from entering Britain, but the concern is that hauliers will not want to enter the country if they cannot return home.
Sainsbury’s said: “All the goods for the great British Christmas lunch are already in the country and we have a lot of them.
“We also get everything we can from the UK and look for alternative transport for the product from Europe.
“If nothing changes, we will start to see gaps in the coming days in lettuce, some salad leaves, cauliflower, broccoli, and citrus, all of which are imported from the mainland at this time of year.
“We hope that the UK and French governments can come up with a mutually acceptable solution that gives priority to the immediate passage of products and any other food in ports.
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FDF CEO Ian Wright said Sunday night that the prohibition of merchandise traffic from the UK to France “has the potential to seriously disrupt the UK’s Christmas fresh food supply and UK food and drink exports.”
He added: “Continental truckers will not want to travel here if they have a real fear of being abandoned.”
“The government must urgently persuade the French government to exempt the freight accompanied by its ban.”
The British Retail Consortium’s director of food and sustainability, Andrew Opie, said the situation “poses difficulties for the UK’s ability to import and export key products during the busy Christmas period.”
“While goods can enter from France, few transport companies will be willing to send trucks and drivers to the UK without a guarantee that they can return to the EU in a timely manner,” he said.
Lettuce could be among the affected products
“This is a key supply route for fresh produce at this time of year: Canal crossings see 10,000 trucks passing daily during peak periods, such as the run-up to Christmas.
“We urge the UK and EU government to find a pragmatic solution to this as soon as possible, to avoid disruption for consumers.
“Retailers have stocked up before Christmas, which should avoid immediate problems.
“However, any prolonged closure of the French border would be a problem as the UK enters the final weeks before the end of the transition on December 31.”
Logistics UK, formerly the Freight Transport Association, said it was “very concerned for the welfare of drivers traveling from the UK to France at this time and is urgently seeking more information for our members.”
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“The health and safety of drivers is our primary concern, and it is critical that they continue to be recognized as key workers and given access to testing, if necessary, as a priority to ensure the continuous movement of goods to and from France “, affirms the organization. said.
“Buyers shouldn’t panic – retailers will do their best to ensure there is stock in the system, including fresh produce, and it is important for us to remember that incoming traffic still has access to the UK.
“We are in close contact with the UK government to ensure that supplies of fresh produce are available during Christmas and New Years.”
