Sainsbury's Warns Of Fresh Fruit And Veg Shortage Within Days

Sainsbury's has warned that gaps will appear on its shelves "within days" after France announced its ban on freight from the UK.

Fresh fruit and vegetables, such as lettuce, salads and cauliflower may be subject to a shortage if trade links are not quickly restored.

However, the UK's second largest supermarket chain has urged people not to panic buy over Christmas, as many festive favourites are already available in the UK.

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A statement from the brand reads: "All products for the Great British Christmas lunch are already in the country and we have plenty of these.

"We are also sourcing everything we can from the UK and looking into alternative transport for product sourced from Europe.

"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."

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While France is yet to ban lorries from entering the UK, there is serious concern over whether drivers will be willing to enter the country if they find themselves unable to return should the borders be closed entirely.

The news comes after several European countries including the Netherlands, Sweden and Italy closed boarders with the UK after it was announced the South East of England is being ravaged by a mutant strain of coronavirus.

The new strain is thought to be highly contagious, which has caused concern amongst scientists.

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The Food and Drink Federation has also warned that fresh food supplies face "serious disruption" over Christmas.

Chief Executive Ian Wright explained to Sky News: "Continental truckers will not want to travel here if they have a real fear of getting marooned.

"The government must very urgently persuade the French government to exempt accompanied freight from its ban."

Topics: UK News, Tasty Food, News, sainsburys, Food & Drink, Tasty

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

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