Latest news with #Supervalu
The Journal
4 days ago
- Business
- The Journal
Simon Harris was having the time of his life today with Pearse Doherty's Supervalu mistake
The Journal / YouTube TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS appeared to be enjoying himself in the Dáil today when he got the opportunity to slag Sinn Féin's finance spokesperson for his Supervalu faux pas. On Tuesday, Sinn Féin were forced to explain their embarrassing mistake after Pearse Doherty and a number of other Sinn Féin TDs repeatedly referred in the Dáil to SuperValu being owned by United Natural Foods Inc., a US-based firm rather than the Irish Musgrave Group. The party put the mistake down to 'human error' due to a search by Sinn Féin staff into Google Finance turning up a different 'Supervalu' company based in the US. During Leaders' Questions today, Harris made sure not to spare Doherty's blushes. During a discussion on the cost of living, the Fine Gael leader saw his opportunity to strike and took it. Advertisement 'You spend a lot of your political career standing up here saying: 'you don't get it over here. You don't understand, you're out of touch. 'You know what I know? I know who owns Supervalu. And it's not an American multinational,' the Tánaiste jeered across the Dáil at a glum-faced Sinn Féin, receiving whoops of approval from the Government benches. 'I know who owns Supervalu, they sponsor the GAA, they sponsor the Tidy Towns. They're in towns and villages across the country, they're a proud Irish company. And you thought, you thought they were owned by an American multinational! 'And you want Paschal Donohoe's job?,' the Tánaiste said with a smile, while pointing at the Finance Minister sitting beside him. 'You want Paschal Donohoe's job and you don't even know who owns SuperValu? Or can't even use Google? Give me a break,' he concluded. Unintelligible shouts continued from the Sinn Féin benches, as the Tánaiste repeated: 'Give me a break, Pearse, give me a break.' Rising to her feet for her speaking slot, Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore was far from impressed with the scenes she had just witnessed. 'Anybody looking in on this debate today will have their head in their hands. They are worried about putting food on their table, they are worried about turning their lights on and we have this kind of behaviour going on? 'It's just — I actually don't think either of you get it,' the Wicklow TD said. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
6 days ago
- Business
- The Journal
Sinn Féin's mix up over who owns Supervalu put down to 'human error'
MIXING UP THE owners of Supervalu during a Dáil debate last week has been put down to 'human error' by Sinn Féin. During a debate on the cost-of-living and rising food prices, Sinn Féin's finance spokesman Pearse Doherty and a number of other Sinn Féin TDs stated that United Natural Foods Inc rather than the Irish Musgrave Group own the supermarket chain Supervalu. Doherty told the Dáil that 'United Natural Foods Inc., the owners of SuperValu, saw its stock price rise by 60 per cent in the last year'. Sinn Féin's Máire Devine and Paul Donnelly also noted that 'SuperValu's stock by nearly 61 per cent' and had a 'turnover exceeding €5 billion for the first time, with profits of €104 million'. So, what happened? Sinn Féin has put it down to 'human error' due to a search by Sinn Féin staff into Google Finance turning up a 'Supervalu' company based in the US being owned by United Natural Foods Inc. Google Finance is a search tool that provides real-time stock market prices. Advertisement However, the Musgrave Group, which owns Supervalu in Ireland, is not a publicly listed company and is in fact a family-owned business. It therefore would not feature on a Google Finance search. It is understood that when Supervalu was put into the search it stated that United Natural Foods Inc had bought Supervalu, however, beneath the headline it clarified that the 'Supervalu' in question is an American company, not an Irish company. 'We should have caught it ourselves,' said a source in Sinn Féin. However they argued that the point being made in the Dáil during the debate still stands as supermarkets are seeing their profits increasing since the pandemic. According to Musgrave's annual report for 2023, published last year, the group reached €5 billion in turnover for the first time. Meanwhile profit after tax for the year reached €103.9 million. Musgrave's report stated that of the €6.5 billion that came in with retail sales, €3.5 billion came from SuperValu stores. The cost-of-living crisis and rising costs featured during today's Leaders' Questions debate today, where Taoiseach Micheál Martin acknowledged that prices remain 'elevated'. Musgrave's has been contacted for comment by The Journal. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Mirror
01-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Urgent 'do not eat' warning for microwave dinner sold in multiple Irish stores
A number of bacon and cabbage microwave dinners sold in Tesco, Supervalu and Centra have been recalled due to the presence of a harmful bacteria. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland warned that the ready-made dinners were being recalled due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The FSAI said that the following dinners have been recalled: Centra Bacon and Cabbage Dinner, From The Farm Bacon and Cabbage Dinner, Good Food Bacon and Cabbage Dinner, SuperValu Bacon and Cabbage Dinner and Tesco Bacon and Cabbage Dinner. The food safety watchdog said that all pack sizes, all batch codes and all use-by dates were recalled and that recall notices will be displayed at point-of-sale. Retailers are requested to remove the implicated Bacon and Cabbage Dinners from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale. Wholesalers/distributors are requested to contact their affected customers and recall the implicated Bacon and Cabbage Dinners and provide a point-of-sale recall notice to their retailer customers. Caterers should not use the implicated Bacon and Cabbage Dinners and consumers are advised not to eat the implicated Bacon and Cabbage Dinners. Symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection can include mild flu-like symptoms, or gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications. Some people are more vulnerable to Listeria monocytogenes infections, including pregnant women, babies, and people with weakened immune systems, including the elderly. The incubation period (time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing) is on average three weeks but can range between three and 70 days. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Irish Daily Mirror
05-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dunnes, Tesco and Supervalu shoppers warned as items recalled over bacteria risk
Shoppers at select Dunnes Stores, Supervalu and Tesco supermarkets are being urged to check their kitchens after a recall was issued for three separate products. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) issued an alert on Wednesday for specific batches of Builin Blasta dressings amid concerns over a bacteria risk. A spokesperson said: "Builin Blasta Teo is recalling the below batches of specific Builin Blasta dressings, due to the presence of lactic acid bacteria, which may cause spoilage." The recall affects certain batches of its Red Onion and Tomato Relish (220g), Caesar Dressing (245g) and Smoked Onion Salsa (340g). The affected products carry these specific batch numbers and use-by dates: Builin Blasta Red Onion & Tomato Relish Pack size: 220g Batch numbers: 844, 942, 1009 Use-by dates: 11/10/2025, 30/01/2026, 09/04/2026 Builin Blasta Caesar Dressing Pack size: 245g Batch numbers: 831, 973 Use-by dates: 02/07/2025, 16/12/2025 Builin Blasta Smoked Onion Salsa Lactic acid bacteria are naturally occurring microorganisms that can lead to food spoilage, resulting in changes to taste, texture and appearance. While generally not harmful to health, their presence means these dressings may no longer be safe or enjoyable to consume. Only certain Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Supervalu and independent stores stock these items, so shoppers are advised to check Builin Blasta's suppliers list online here and look out for point-of-sale notices in stores. Retailers have been instructed to remove the affected batches from sale immediately. Consumers who have purchased any of the implicated batches are strongly advised not to eat them and to return them for a refund. The FSAI added: "Retailers are requested to remove the implicated batches from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale. Wholesalers/distributors are requested to contact their affected customers and recall the implicated batches and provide a point-of-sale recall notice to their retail customers. Consumers are advised not to eat the implicated batches."
The Journal
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
'I'm genuinely afraid when I get to the till': Our readers on how food price rises affect them
'TAKE JACOB'S RICE cakes,' a reader writes. A packet of six chocolate-covered rice cakes cost €3 at the start of this year, she recalls. Then they jumped to €3.50. Now they're €3.75 in both Tesco and Supervalu (though currently on special offer in the latter, and still €3 in Dunnes). With a hungry teenager in the house, this family used to buy three packets a week – but that 75c increase adds up to an extra €117 per year. 'We've cut them out completely,' the reader told us. 'It's the same story with a lot of meats and fish. We just don't buy them any more.' Grocery prices are climbing, and have been for some time. Increase after increase adds up to a substantially more expensive shopping bill for most people compared with just a few years ago. Eating out has become much more expensive too. We asked our readers to tell us how higher food and drink prices are affecting them and received many responses. Our thanks to everyone who got in touch. Here's what you told us. Cutting back on groceries The reader with the teenage son said that, for her, food shopping has become a real source of anxiety. She and her partner both work full-time. 'I'm often genuinely afraid that when I get to the till, I won't have enough to cover what's in the basket. And we're not talking luxury items, just the basics to get by,' she said. Another mother, a 41-year-old with two children, said her family reduced spending in a number of areas, including by using less electricity and by reducing car trips to save on petrol. 'Definitely the supermarket is the most difficult one,' she said. One of her children is autistic and has sensory issues with food, meaning it's not possible to change the brands they buy. The supermarket pizza they used to buy for less than €1 is now almost €2, 'Every week, one or another item goes up by a few cents, which adds up at the end,' she said. The family may soon need to ask St Vincent de Paul for help, she said. It's not just families feeling the pressure. A 22-year-old woman from Clondalkin in Dublin said she skips breakfast or other meals if she isn't genuinely hungry, as her weekly food shop won't last through the week otherwise. She said she has sometimes used city centre soup kitchens 'just to have something in my stomach'. One 36-year-old single woman living in the midlands told us she has all but given up on buying meat, sweets and alcohol because of the cost. In any given trip to the supermarket, she might buy just one or two branded goods – usually tea and cheese. She is single and saving for a house deposit, and has a weekly grocery budget of €50 – but struggles to stick to it. Being careful with her money allows her to still be able to afford to socialise, though less often than she used to. Steep price rises since the pandemic Many readers pinpointed the beginning of grocery price inflation to a point in time somewhere around the pandemic, stating that their average shop seems to be 20% or 30% more expensive than it was then. These readers are on the money. In the five years to last month, prices for an average basket of food and non-alcoholic drinks increased by 23.4%, data from the Central Statistics Office shows. Climbing consumer price index for food and non-alcoholic drinks over the past five years CSO data / The Journal CSO data / The Journal / The Journal Damian O'Reilly, lecturer in retail management at TU Dublin, said: 'There's been a paradigm shift in the cost of food, and that cost is staying. The prices are not coming down any time soon.' He said significant price increases in the past year in the price of beef – partly due to increased demand from abroad for Irish exports – and dairy are likely to be followed by stabilisation over the coming months. CSO data indicates the price of a pound of butter is up almost €1 in the past year, with two litres of milk up 27c. Some consumers are switching from beef to chicken, or making other changes to their basket, while supermarket margins on these products are likely to be eroded, O'Reilly said. Advertisement Cocoa prices have been high for a year, driving up the price for products like the chocolate rice cakes mentioned earlier. Tesco said it's trying to absorb price increases but when they are sustained, this has to be reflected in the retail price to consumers. It said it offers an extensive range of rice cakes including good value own-brand products. O'Reilly emphasised that stabilisation does not mean the recent upward trend will go into reverse. Whether it's €11 for two steaks, or €10 for Lavazza coffee – just two of the products our readers mentioned as having been subject to significant recent price increases – this could be the new normal. Cutting out waste Many readers told us their response to increasing grocery prices is to try to stick to discount retailers, and to avoid convenience stores as much as possible. This is borne out by market research firm Kantar's data, which shows Lidl and Aldi are growing their Irish market share. Even when shopping at discount supermarkets, people try to keep their costs down by buying less. One woman said she never takes a trolley around Lidl to stop herself impulse buying, opting instead to fill a bag and then leave. Readers said the increasing price of groceries has made them much more conscious of waste. People said they are batch cooking, freezing food before it goes off, and sometimes treating use-by dates as discretionary if the food passes the 'smell test'. One 34-year-old mother of one from Dublin said: 'If we bought it, then we have to eat it.' No more changing our minds mid-week and ordering a takeaway instead of cooking.' It's not just food and drink increasing in price. Readers are also grappling with steep increases in the price of non-prescription pharmacy products, sun cream and pet food. One reader, whose regular sun cream now costs €25 from Tesco, said this essential product appeared to be priced for the privileged. (Tesco told us it offers a wide range of sun cream options starting at €5, or €4.40 with a club card.) One reader said the cat food she usually buys has almost doubled in price since before the pandemic adding: 'I'd strangle her, except the cremation fees are so high.' Cutting back on eating out It's bad news for restaurants and coffee shops from our hard-pressed readers. Many readers told us they have cut back significantly on meals out and on fancy coffees. Some readers said this was partly because they were trying to save money given the increase in the price of groceries. Most said eating out was just too expensive now, in and of itself. Many readers told us they loved eating out, but they just can't afford to do so with the frequency they used to. A 45-year-old man from Co Mayo said he used to love eating out, be it for lunch during the week or for dinner at the weekend. Now he does so just once a month at most. He acknowledged that food businesses are under pressure but said the quality of the product often just didn't match the price. Recently he had soup, a wrap and a cup of coffee which came to €21.50. 'Could I say it was worth one hour of my work? Absolutely not,' he said. Pub-goers too are feeling the pinch. A number of readers said they're more likely to enjoy a drink at home now than in the pub. Several readers remarked on the price of a glass of wine often being close to €10, putting this luxury out of their reach. One 62-year-old man said: 'Drink has gone up to a ridiculous price so that I have stopped having my two to three pints on a Saturday afternoon.' Some readers said they still try to find the budget for eating out, to the extent that they can afford to do so. Some older readers said going for a coffee helped them get out of the house. Many people said they have switched to more casual, less expensive locations, as well as reducing the frequency at which they eat out. One reader in her 60s, living in Dublin, told us that meeting friends for a meal out is more expensive than it was even one year ago. 'Two weeks ago I had three glasses of wine and a main course and, with tip, it came to €70. Glasses of wine are rarely less than €10 now. 'I met family for brunch in Avoca, Rathcoole and my three salads with bean something-or-other and an Americano was €23.50. A banoffee slice was €8.50.' She skipped the banoffee. A 56-year-old man in Co Louth said: 'Dinner out is a real treat, once every five to six weeks maybe, or celebrations only.' He added that he's also buying less food at the supermarket and eating smaller portions. 'Don't laugh. My waistline and health is thanking me for it!' he said. The reader with the teenage son who has stopped buying rice cakes said her family has downgraded their occasional treat of eating out from dinner to breakfast or brunch. 'Celebrating with a dinner out used to be a treat. Now, it's just stress,' she said. 'The fear of the final bill hanging over the evening makes it hard to enjoy.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
