Supermarket prices

[Rory H]

Relax lads. Not the first time we've seen handbagging in Tesco I suppose

[pete]

Which is another typical Star response. I'm not complaining about lower prices, I'm complaining about price cuts being implemented at the cost of Irish producers, and I'm pointing out that in the long term, prices will most likely rise because of that. I've also posted clear evidence of both already happening, which you've typically ignored.

Firstly I don't believe any of the supermarkets when they say they have reduced prices by X% across the board as they try the same tricks. As consumers it is up to use to make our own decisions.

The quote above refers to Irish Suppliers. Irish suppliers would also include Irish distributers. Why should Tesco buy UK branded good from Irish distributers when they can source from the Uk cheaper? If they buying direct from the UK it would obviously mean less requirement for buyers in Ireland. I think Dunnes have also sought redundencies & I remember Superquinn leaving go i think 400 staff in Dundalk?

I worked for an Irish distributer before & Tesco don't need to buy from them as they have their own distribution network. Dunnes on the other hand don't have their own network so get the suppliers to deliver the products. The example prices given in the IT showed no change in Irish products such as Barry Tea but price reductions on branded UK products.

Lidl & Aldi don't seem to stock much Irish products. I don't hear anyone complain about their low prices because all their goods sourced from the UK & Europe. People complain about Superquinn being the most expensive but they probably stock more Irish produce than any one else.

We need a bit of perspective & must realise al prices are too high. I am sure Lidl & Aldi were attracted to Ireland when they saw the large profit margins.

[soccerc]

Lidl & Aldi don't seem to stock much Irish products.

Aldi source 40% of their product in Ireland with all meat, eggs, chicken and breads locally produced.
A signifcant proportion of their dairy and frozen products are also manufactured here as are the coffees, tea's and cakes

[dahamsta]

Aldi source 40% of their product in Ireland with all meat, eggs, chicken and breads locally produced.

Not chickens soccerc, 60-70% of chickens come from NI. Not sure about eggs. That's across the board, though, seems to be a limitation of the southern supply chain.

[soccerc]

Not chickens soccerc, 60-70% of chickens come from NI. Not sure about eggs. That's across the board, though, seems to be a limitation of the southern supply chain.

LOL, I maybe should have said island of Ireland.

Another interesting fact that has recently come out is that while the fresh chicken is from the island of Ireland, the island's biggest processor sources all chicken for value added product, i.e. your Kievs, Marylands, Gougons etc from Brazil and Thailand

[John83]

...the island's biggest processor...

I'm left with the mental image of a giant blender somewhere outside of Naas.

[soccerc]

I'm left with the mental image of a giant blender somewhere outside of Naas.

Image is close, but locations are Dungannon and Craigavon.

Giblet blended with mechanically recovered meat processed and bleached counts as reconstituted chicken

[pete]

Another interesting fact that has recently come out is that while the fresh chicken is from the island of Ireland, the island's biggest processor sources all chicken for value added product, i.e. your Kievs, Marylands, Gougons etc from Brazil and Thailand

Are you saying that the package will say made in Ireland but the chicken itself if Thai?

Not at all surprised by that. I think there was some report recently that very little Irish chicken used in food businesses such as take aways. I don't see anything wrong with that as long as the consumer knows what he/she is buying. Very difficult to track imported chicken added to processed food.

[dahamsta]

I fancied fish fingers for my tea last night, but not one of the ones in Tesco had "Irish" or "Ireland" on them. A couple of packets had "$Blah Pollock" or "$Blah Cod" (where $Blah is a non-European country I can't remember), and the rest had nothing at all. Isn't that illegal now?

[John83]

They still have fish fingers made of cod? I thought it was all generic white fish now.

[soccerc]

Are you saying that the package will say made in Ireland but the chicken itself if Thai?

That's it in a nutshell.

If the final processing act whether that's breadcrumbing frying or whatever occurs in Ireland then it can legitimately be labelled as Irish.

Look at most of the cheese in Irish shops, cheddar, sliced, grated, etc etc. It may well be cheese of Irish origin but the EU Health stamp will most likely be a UK one, as that's where most of the value added production took place.

Food labelling is not always what it appears to be


You know those lovelly chicken fillets, six for €7 or whatever, hmmmm, not Irish, pumped full of water, sucrose and nitrites to maintain that fresh plump look, except they are frozen then defrosted befroe sale..

Want Irish rashers, well you'll find them almost impossible to find. Most rashers in our shops and butchers is of Danish or Dutch origin and has been frozen before the final process, slicing, takes place here.

[pete]

I have noticed with own label products from all supermarkets that they use the "made specially for..." line without saying where they are made. Surely that is illegal?

I almost never buy meta from Tesco as feel it is poor quality. The one think I like about Superquinn is they put the name of the farm where the meat came fro on the label as well as the till receipt. Maybe it doesn't mean much but there is a feeling of reassurance.

After the dioxin pork scare not sure what value the Bord Bia labels are any more. It as discredited as the financial product adverts saying they are regulated by the Financial Regulator.

[red bellied]

I thought that any rashers marked by the tricolour (Dennys and Galtee) were only of Irish origin.

[Macy]

People should be buying meat from their local butcher - better quality and better prices (in my experience, and only recently comparing prices with Aldi meat).

Pork is the one meat I wouldn't get hung up on buying Irish actually - our standards are no better or worse than Denmark.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I have noticed with own label products from all supermarkets that they use the "made specially for..." line without saying where they are made. Surely that is illegal?

I almost never buy meta from Tesco as feel it is poor quality. The one think I like about Superquinn is they put the name of the farm where the meat came fro on the label as well as the till receipt. Maybe it doesn't mean much but there is a feeling of reassurance.
.

So do Dunnes Stores.

I'm very suspicious of meat products from lidl and not surprised that all the value added stuff is of Thai or Brazilian origin ultimately.

But labelling of a lot of food items is fork tongued and designed to give an impression of origin that doesn't match with the facts.

Seemingly chances are very slim with any meat product from The Netherlands that the animal ever put a hoof on dutch soil. So long as it passed through Rotterdam port it's relabelled Dutch.

Even Galway Bay Oysters could apparently be from anywhere they can get them and scarcely have to be dipped in the water to be legitimately labelled local produce.

Makes me admire lidls honesty on their jars of honey which simply announces 'Product of more than one country'.

[pete]

Makes me admire lidls honesty on their jars of honey which simply announces 'Product of more than one country'.

Almost all honey is labeled that way. Last time I looked there was no 100% Irish honey in the supermarket. Even the well known Irish brand labels they way you suggested above.

[Macy]

Almost all honey is labeled that way. Last time I looked there was no 100% Irish honey in the supermarket. Even the well known Irish brand labels they way you suggested above.

Isn't that just a reason not to buy honey from the supermarket rather than direct from beekeepers?

[pete]

Isn't that just a reason not to buy honey from the supermarket rather than direct from beekeepers?

Don't think I buy enough honey to make the trek to beekeepers assuming there are none in Dublin City

[Macy]

No farmers markets in Dublin City at all? You'd be surprised I'd say anyway. I've seen people having them on apartment roofs...