Whiskas owner suspends supply of pet food to Tesco in pricing row

The owner of pet food brands Whiskas, Dreamies and Pedigree has halted supplies to Tesco in the latest supply row to hit the supermarket giant.

It comes just days after shelves of Heinz baked beans and ketchup became bare after Tesco stood firm against planned price rises from the food manufacturer amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Suppliers have sought to increase prices in a bid to pass on some of the impact of soaring cost inflation in their own operations.

On Tuesday, stocks of Mars Petcare products, which also include brands such as Sheba, were running low in stores and online.

Steve Dresser, a retail analyst who runs Grocery Insight, highlighted the supply issues on social media, adding that labels on shelves confirm there will be no further stock until July 23.

Explaining its stance, Tesco said it will “not pass on unjustifiable price increases to customers”.

A spokesman said: “We’re laser-focused on keeping the cost of the weekly shop in check, offering customers great value through our combination of Aldi Price Match, Low Everyday Prices and Clubcard Prices.

“With household budgets under increasing pressure, now more than ever we have a responsibility to ensure customers get the best possible value, and we will not pass on unjustifiable price increases to our customers.

“We’re sorry that this means some products aren’t available right now, but we have plenty of alternatives to choose from and we hope to have this issue resolved soon.”

A spokeswoman for Mars said: “We are aware that some of our Petcare products are currently out of stock at Tesco stores.

“We want to reassure pet owners that their favourite products are in supply and remain widely available in the UK marketplace.

“There are many reasons why our products may be out of stock in certain stores from time to time.

“We cannot comment on individual commercial relationships or situations.”