The Irish supermarket chain Aldi has said it will sell organic and farm-to-table foodstuff after Brexit, but only if the country stays in the European Union.
The announcement comes as Aldi prepares to sell products like its vegan breads, pasta sauces and soups to its customers in the US and other countries following the Brexit vote.
The supermarket chain said in a statement that it was “confident” that its customers would want to buy products made from locally sourced ingredients in the UK and that its products would be able to be delivered across the EU.
“We have been working closely with our European partners to ensure that Aldi’s products and the European markets are accessible for our customers,” the statement read.
“The result will be that the quality and consistency of our products will be higher than ever before.”
Aldine said that it will still sell products made in the EU, but that customers would be asked to pay extra for the privilege.
“In the future we will be able sell our organic and Farm-to.table products, but our suppliers will have to make their products more affordable,” the company said.
“This is because, in order to keep our suppliers competitive and our products available, we need to ensure we can still sell our products in the market place.”
Alldine said it planned to have to introduce price controls on some products in order “to maintain a high level of competitiveness” but that it would be possible to lower the prices for some products as well.
“It is the duty of our suppliers to ensure quality in our products and we are doing this with our suppliers,” the retailer said.
Alldi, which has about 5,300 stores across Ireland, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands, was one of the retailers that made the decision to start selling its organic products in Britain, after it became one of many retailers to announce its intentions to start exporting its organic and plant-based products to other countries.
In March, Aldi also announced plans to sell a range of organic food products made with the company’s products in its stores.
The Irish company said the decision was made after “overwhelming” consumer feedback and was in line with its vision to remain in the customs union.
The company said it was also making plans to “provide support” for farmers and small farmers in the country, and that it is also looking at the possibility of exporting its own products to Canada.
Alldina said it is “working closely” with the Irish Government to ensure it is able to “continue to offer our customers access to our products” after Brexit.
“The Government has said that, after Brexit in the autumn, the Government will be looking to facilitate a smooth transition, ensuring that our businesses remain in Ireland and that our products can be delivered to consumers across the world,” the chain said.
“Alldia will continue to operate under the guidance of the Government.”