Will a no-deal Brexit impact the fresh food market?

Unilever has confirmed it is stockpiling Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and Magnum bars in the latest update on the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit on the UK’s food and drink supplies.

Our partner Mark Jones commented on the issue:

“A no-deal Brexit will not only be bad for the economy, it could also be bad for our health. All the major multiple retailers have said that they will have fresh food shortages if there is a no-deal Brexit. As we know, fresh food has a short shelf life, which means if imports are held up then supermarkets will start to have fresh food shortages.

“Packaged and processed food tends to have a longer shelf life so there is potential for supermarkets to stockpile and we could be forced to turn to such products if we cannot buy fresh. But, generally speaking, the greater the degree of processing, the worse the nutritional profile of the food.

“Given the UK’s obesity challenges, we could do without being pushed towards less healthy diet choices. One solution that supermarkets and customers alike could turn to is frozen food. Frozen food is usually healthier than fresh food because nutrients are preserved, and it can be stockpiled by both the retailers and customers.”