Tesco warns of higher prices after horse-meat scandal
In an effort to win over consumers, Tesco said that it would source more of the meat it sells from Britain, starting with fresh chickens.
However, Mr Clarke admitted that the scandal could ultimately leave consumers paying more for their meat. “I hope that it doesn’t mean price increases, but I can’t stand here today and tell you that it won’t,” Mr Clarke said.
Earlier in the day, he told Sky News: “We feel the need to bring the food closer to home. We think it’s right to bring more of it back to the UK, so long as we can get the demand from the UK.”
Figures released this week showed that sales of frozen beef burgers have almost halved since the scandal erupted in the middle of January, underlining the pressure on Tesco and the rest of the industry to strengthen public confidence in the supply chain.
Mr Clarke insisted that cases of contamination in the company’s supply chain are “tiny”, but added: “I am as shocked as anybody else.”
Tesco said it is establishing a website that it says will give consumers a “level of insight into what’s in their food never before seen in the UK”.
Shares in Tesco closed down 0.3pc at 363.8p.