Supermarkets discussion

[ChrisC]

I was in Farmfoods and noticed some chicken products are from China, Ukraine and Brazil. Puts you off a little.

It puts me off far more than a little. I stopped buying meat products from Iceland a few years ago when I noticed that lots of it including their frozen Christmas turkey joints were from Eastern European countries. There are lots of food items which I won’t buy if they are not British. I have no problems buying things we cannot produce here such as bananas, oranges etc, but I will not buy items that can be produced nearer to home to save on the miles that the food has had to travel. For that reason, in winter when British fresh food items are difficult to find, I would rather buy things produced in The Netherlands or France than from Morocco or South Africa. I know that it sometimes means doing without or paying considerably more but that’s what I’d rather do.

 

[AM9]

Um, but how much do two bottles cost now? I bet they've increased by more than 11%. Also, unless prices only increase on a strictly annual basis, the figure of 11% is fairly meaningless. My local Costa Coffee has increased prices three times this year on its basic product, round about 10% on each occasion, so the rise doesn't then seem so steep if you're not in the know.

Those bottles have increased by 11% per bottle each. If a person consumes 12 bottles per year, that would still be 11% when bought in 3s. Everybody buys according to their needs which includes multi offers, and if the need is to keep the price down, then buying three at a time is that way to do it. Those who want the world to stay exactly the same forever will be unlucky. So if the price per two bottles rose by 11% yet buying three bottles costed the same as each of bottles bought in twos are now would you doggedly continue to buy you bottles in pairs at the new paying the higher price? I think not, and it isn't as if soft drinks are short life items.

 

[Busaholic]

Those bottles have increased by 11% per bottle each. If a person consumes 12 bottles per year, that would still be 11% when bought in 3s. Everybody buys according to their needs which includes multi offers, and if the need is to keep the price down, then buying three at a time is that way to do it. Those who want the world to stay exactly the same forever will be unlucky. So if the price per two bottles rose by 11% yet buying three bottles costed the same as each of bottles bought in twos are now would you doggedly continue to buy you bottles in pairs at the new paying the higher price? I think not, and it isn't as if soft drinks are short life items.

OK, you seem to take issue with my posts, so I shan't engage with you in future.

 

[takno]

It puts me off far more than a little. I stopped buying meat products from Iceland a few years ago when I noticed that lots of it including their frozen Christmas turkey joints were from Eastern European countries. There are lots of food items which I won’t buy if they are not British. I have no problems buying things we cannot produce here such as bananas, oranges etc, but I will not buy items that can be produced nearer to home to save on the miles that the food has had to travel. For that reason, in winter when British fresh food items are difficult to find, I would rather buy things produced in The Netherlands or France than from Morocco or South Africa. I know that it sometimes means doing without or paying considerably more but that’s what I’d rather do.

A large proportion of frozen meat at all supermarkets is from at least as far away as Eastern Europe. Iceland is, if anything, slightly better than average at meat quality, as evidenced by the fact that they were one of the few national chains which stayed completely free of horse meat a few years ago.

In terms of food miles, far and away the most important thing is fresh fruit and veg, where it has to be flown in from various locations. Frozen meat prodicts coming from Eastern Europe will have come fairly efficiently packed on lorries, and because the wastage is so much lower on frozen food, that will more than make up for the miles.

 

[urbophile]

It puts me off far more than a little. I stopped buying meat products from Iceland a few years ago when I noticed that lots of it including their frozen Christmas turkey joints were from Eastern European countries. There are lots of food items which I won’t buy if they are not British. I have no problems buying things we cannot produce here such as bananas, oranges etc, but I will not buy items that can be produced nearer to home to save on the miles that the food has had to travel. For that reason, in winter when British fresh food items are difficult to find, I would rather buy things produced in The Netherlands or France than from Morocco or South Africa. I know that it sometimes means doing without or paying considerably more but that’s what I’d rather do.

For the same reason I am reluctant to buy wine from the Americas or South Africa, good as much of it is, and despite my delight in having been able to do so from the latter with a good conscience, since the end of apartheid.

 

[lookapigeon]

A large proportion of frozen meat at all supermarkets is from at least as far away as Eastern Europe. Iceland is, if anything, slightly better than average at meat quality, as evidenced by the fact that they were one of the few national chains which stayed completely free of horse meat a few years ago.

In terms of food miles, far and away the most important thing is fresh fruit and veg, where it has to be flown in from various locations. Frozen meat prodicts coming from Eastern Europe will have come fairly efficiently packed on lorries, and because the wastage is so much lower on frozen food, that will more than make up for the miles.

And fresh meat too for Iceland, up until fairly recently (last year or so?) the refrigerated chicken portions came from Poland. I would also question the carbon footprint, since frozen articles have to be kept at a lower temperature, thus consume more energy to store and transport it.

 

[david1212]

I have just looked at what I have, all frozen.

One each from Aldi and Tesco state British chicken.

One produced for Tesco states British and EU chicken.

One from Aldi plus an empty pack not put out both state produced for Aldi with no reference to either the place of production or the raw chicken source.

I will check this week but recall Aldi fresh chicken breast fillets are British.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

When I looked at chicken fillets a while back:

item	per kg	origin	description
Willow Farm Chicken Breast Portions 900G -1.2Kg	£ 4.80	uk	Fresh Class A skinless chicken breast fillet portion
Tesco Chicken Breast Fillets 640G - frozen	£ 5.24	germany	Frozen skinless chicken breast portions with added water.
Tesco British Chicken Breast Portions 950G	£ 5.27	uk	Fresh Class A skinless chicken breast fillet portions.
Tesco Large Chicken Fillet Pack 1.6Kg	£ 5.29	uk	Fresh Class A skinless chicken breast fillet portions.
Tesco British Chicken Breast Portions 650G	£ 5.62	uk	Fresh Class A skinless chicken breast fillet portions.
Tesco British Diced Chicken Breast 650G	£ 5.85	uk	Fresh Class A skinless diced chicken breast fillets.
Tesco 2 British Chicken Breast Fillets 300G	£ 6.00	uk	Fresh Class A skinless chicken breast fillets.
Tesco 2 Cooked Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets 220G	£ 13.70	not stated	T. 2 Cooked Skinless Chicken Brst Flts 220g
Tesco Finest 2 Cornfed Free Range Chicken Fillets 270G-470G	£ 14.65	uk	2 Fresh Class A free range corn fed skinless chicken breast fillets.
Tesco Finest British Cornfed Free Range Skin On Chicken Fillets 2 Pack	£ 14.65	not stated	2 Fresh Class A free range corn fed skin-on chicken breast fillets.
Tesco Organic 2 Chicken Fillets	£ 18.20	uk	Fresh Class A organic skinless chicken breast fillets.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

You'd like to think that the "Tesco Finest British Cornfed Free Range Skin On Chicken Fillets 2 Pack" are produced in the U.K.

The (online) blurb for same states..."Our Tesco finest chicken is RSPCA and Red Tractor assured and reared for us on British farms by our trusted farmers".

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/292606718

"Tesco 2 Cooked Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets 220G", however, are apparently made using "British and EU chicken".

Surprising that this info is not shown on the actual packaging for the product.

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/306938004

P.S. @Baxenden Bank. Have you got the price(s) right for all of the above?

 

[david1212]

You'd like to think that the "Tesco Finest British Cornfed Free Range Skin On Chicken Fillets 2 Pack" are produced in the U.K.

Taken 'standalone' it is the corn that is British while the chickens can be anywhere in the world. It is the addition of the red tractor symbol & statement that confirms the chickens are British too.

A classic example is these two
Scottish smoked salmon
vs
Smoked Scottish salmon

 

[ChrisC]

I’ve been checking very carefully before I buy things for a number of years now. If it isn’t clearly labelled as uk produced I don’t buy. During the lockdowns I started getting more of my food from local independent shops. The butcher deals with a local supplier and knows exactly which farms the meat is from and can even sometimes the tell me the breed of cow that his beef is from that day. I don‘t actually find the prices at the local butchers, greengrocers, bakers etc that more expensive than in the supermarkets, but it’s definitely much better quality. It’s also been good to get to know the shopkeepers and to benefit from a more friendly personal service. I’m fortunate in living close to a large village that has a number of high quality independent food shops but I suppose these are not so easy to find in large urban areas and people have use supermarkets all of the time. I now just tend to use my local Co op for supermarket goods with occasional larger shops at Waitrose.

 

[malc-c]

Finally managed to get some ASDA Cornflour. Every time I've looked the shelf has been empty, although the Brown & Polson brand next to it was taking up all the available shelf space and never seemed to change form week to week. Not surprising really when the branded product is £3 and the ASDA is just £1 (or £2 if you match the weight).

Sausage rolls have been up and down from week to week - £1.65 one week, then £1.95 the next...

 

[route101]

I have just looked at what I have, all frozen.

One each from Aldi and Tesco state British chicken.

One produced for Tesco states British and EU chicken.

One from Aldi plus an empty pack not put out both state produced for Aldi with no reference to either the place of production or the raw chicken source.

I will check this week but recall Aldi fresh chicken breast fillets are British.

Meat and Dairy products usually have a label/symbol in a oval with a country code. I have noticed if its packed in the UK it will still have a GB oval rather than the country of origin.

 

[david1212]

....
One (frozen) from Aldi plus an empty pack not put out both state produced for Aldi with no reference to either the place of production or the raw chicken source.
.....

Meat and Dairy products usually have a label/symbol in a oval with a country code. I have noticed if its packed in the UK it will still have a GB oval rather than the country of origin.

Ahhhhhh .... From Aldi I have PL so Poland.

.......
I will check this week but recall Aldi fresh chicken breast fillets are British.

I confirm these are British.

 

[MasterSpenny]

Tesco have been selling Christmas stuffing that may contain moths… who would want that?

Tesco recalls Christmas stuffing because it may contain moths

The supermarket chain stresses the Apple & Cranberry Stuffing Mix may be "unfit for human consumption" and apologises to customers.

news.sky.com

Tesco recalls Christmas stuffing because it may contain moths​

The supermarket chain stresses the Apple & Cranberry Stuffing Mix may be "unfit for human consumption" and apologises to customers.
Tesco is recalling a Christmas stuffing product because it might contain moths.

The supermarket chain said the warning applied to Tesco Finest Apple & Cranberry Stuffing Mix 130g with the best before end date of September 2024.


"We are recalling a single batch of Tesco Finest Apple & Cranberry Stuffing Mix due to the possible presence of moths which makes the product unfit for human consumption," the official recall notice said.

In the warning issued through the Food Standards Agency, the retailer said anyone who had bought the affected stuffing should "not consume this product". Customers are advised to return the product to a branch of the supermarket, where they will be given a refund. No receipt is required. "Tesco apologises to our customers for any inconvenience caused," the statement added.
Cranberry has become a staple of traditional Christmas dinners, having first become popular as part of Thanksgiving feasts in the US.

The recall notice included no explanation as to how moths may have come to be present in the stuffing, but Tesco has been contacted for comment

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Tesco have been selling Christmas stuffing that may contain moths… who would want that?

Every little helps?

 

[takno]

Tesco have been selling Christmas stuffing that may contain moths… who would want that?

Tesco recalls Christmas stuffing because it may contain moths

The supermarket chain stresses the Apple & Cranberry Stuffing Mix may be "unfit for human consumption" and apologises to customers.

news.sky.com

And at no extra charge. You've got to take the protein where you can find it these days

 

[Calthrop]

There comes to mind, the passage from Bill Bryson's book about his travels in Australia: involving a visit to a national park in a remote high-altitude part of the state of Victoria, and conversation with a warden there concerning the bogong moth, reckoned something of a delicacy by Native Australians -- who roast it in hot ashes and eat it whole. Bryson asks the warden whether he has ever eaten one. The reply is, "once -- once was enough". Asked "what did it taste like?", the answer is, "Like a moth".

Bryson: "I read that it has a kind of buttery taste."

Warden: "No. It has a moth taste."

 

[52290]

Tesco have been selling Christmas stuffing that may contain moths… who would want that?

Tesco recalls Christmas stuffing because it may contain moths

The supermarket chain stresses the Apple & Cranberry Stuffing Mix may be "unfit for human consumption" and apologises to customers.

news.sky.com

Only for Clubcard holders.

 

[Trackman]

Bought some OXO cubes yesterday from Asda.
It was £2.40 for 12 but £2.50 for 24, obviously bought the 24.
I had a Google about prices, Tesco sells the 12's at £2.30, but the 24's are £3.10 at a 'Low everyday price'. A bit misleading, don't you think?

 

[jon81uk]

Bought some OXO cubes yesterday from Asda.
It was £2.40 for 12 but £2.50 for 24, obviously bought the 24.
I had a Google about prices, Tesco sells the 12's at £2.30, but the 24's are £3.10 at a 'Low everyday price'. A bit misleading, don't you think?

Whats misleading?

 

[Trackman]

Whats misleading?

That they are getting the best price for them, that's how it comes across to me.

 

[jon81uk]

That they are getting the best price for them, that's how it comes across to me.

That who is getting the best price?

Tesco is claiming they are offering a "low everyday price", they aren't claiming it is cheaper than Asda or anywhere else.
Sainsbury's has a "price lock" on packs of 24 Oxo cubes at £3.10, same price as Tesco. But the 12 packs are normally £2.40 (same as Asda) but on special offer at £1.50, therefore two 12 packs are cheaper than their 12. Asda doesn't show the £2.50 for 24 as a special offer but I would assume it is not the regular price.

Personally I've been getting Aldi own stock cubes, 65p for 10.

 

[dgl]

one thing I do find interesting is Crusha, most supermarkets sell the small bottles for £2 or thereabouts, Asda sell the larger bottles for the same price and I've always wondered why that is.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

one thing I do find interesting is Crusha, most supermarkets sell the small bottles for £2 or thereabouts, Asda sell the larger bottles for the same price and I've always wondered why that is.

Is that the milkshake syrup? Haven't had that since I was a rugrat, had no idea it was still available... might have to get some next time I'm at an Asda, just for a trip down memory lane!

 

[Russel]

one thing I do find interesting is Crusha, most supermarkets sell the small bottles for £2 or thereabouts, Asda sell the larger bottles for the same price and I've always wondered why that is.

I find it's pretty common with soft drinks, look at Pepsii Max, around £1.50 for a 500ml bottle, yet the 2L bottle will be around £2.

 

[dgl]

I find it's pretty common with soft drinks, look at Pepsii Max, around £1.50 for a 500ml bottle, yet the 2L bottle will be around £2.

The interesting thing here is that most supermarkets only sell the smaller bottles, it's not the usual smaller size issue.

 

[Busaholic]

That who is getting the best price?

Tesco is claiming they are offering a "low everyday price", they aren't claiming it is cheaper than Asda or anywhere else.
Sainsbury's has a "price lock" on packs of 24 Oxo cubes at £3.10, same price as Tesco. But the 12 packs are normally £2.40 (same as Asda) but on special offer at £1.50, therefore two 12 packs are cheaper than their 12. Asda doesn't show the £2.50 for 24 as a special offer but I would assume it is not the regular price.

Personally I've been getting Aldi own stock cubes, 65p for 10.

The last time I bought Oxo cubes was in 2021 when they cost £1 at Sainsbury's for 12, though they may have been on special offer.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Tesco. Walkers multipack crisps. A a six-pack at clubcard prices for £1.65 (so £3.30 for 12). A 12-pack at normal price £3.15.

 

[gswindale]

Tesco. Walkers multipack crisps. A a six-pack at clubcard prices for £1.65 (so £3.30 for 12). A 12-pack at normal price £3.15.

But how much for 6 at "normal" price? We don't eat crisps all that often these days and it might be that all we need is a 6 pack, so why waste £1.50 buying 6 you won't be eating anytime soon?