UK supermarkets limit sale of cooking oil

LONDON 

Supermarkets across the UK are limiting the amount of oil customers can buy because of shortages following the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

Major chains including Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose will allow two to three items per customer as the war has disrupted sunflower oil sales to the UK.

The Ukraine is Britain’s main supplier of cooking oil.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and working with our suppliers to ensure customers continue to have a choice of cooking oils,” said a Waitrose spokesperson.

Pictures of signs posted by food stores limiting sales of cooking oil to customers began appearing Friday on social media.

One customer posted a picture of a sign from Tesco that read “So that everyone can get what they need, we’re limiting these products to 3 per customer.”

Olive and rapeseed oils are also included in the limits set by supermarkets in-store and online.

Along with Sainsbury’s, market giant Asda has not yet imposed limits on how much cooking oil customers can purchase.

"We are working closely with our suppliers to make sure customers continue to have cooking oils to choose from including olive oil, vegetable oil and rapeseed oil,” a spokesperson from Sainsbury’s said in a statement.

The reduced supply of cooking oil in British supermarkets reflects the effect the war in Ukraine is having on the UK as well as in Europe and elsewhere where the cost of living has shot up and prices of staple products have significantly increased.