Discount chains Aldi and Lidl give consumers in the Irish Republic very little option to buy Irish-produced goods, according to a survey by the independent grocers' group, RGDATA.
It found that with Aldi, only 19% of products were of identifiable Irish origin, while the figure for Lidl was just 6%.
In contrast, Irish-produced goods made up 75% of what is available in Tesco, with Dunnes scoring 88% and SuperValu doing even better at 94%.
"We are not saying that shops trading in Ireland should only sell Irish-produced goods," declared RGDATA director general Ailish Forde.
"We are saying that shops trading in Ireland should support Irish producers and suppliers and give consumers the choice of purchasing Irish products.
"Frankly, at Aldi and Lidl, customers are left in the dark on the level of Irish-produced goods on sale." The two chains, she claimed, were "cocking a snook at consumers" by refusing to specify the source of their products.
Calling for a more supportive approach by them, she cited a recent survey finding that 81% of consumers tried to buy Irish food when shopping, while over 90% favoured the introduction of a green label to identify food as Irish.
"It's not good enough for Aldi and Lidl to take money out of the Irish economy.
"They should give something back by visibly supporting Irish producers and suppliers," she added.
In response, an Aldi spokeswoman said the chain sourced 30% of produce from Irish suppliers, with 150 product lines sold solely in stores in the Republic.
An additional 100 lines, also Irish-sourced, were sold both in the Republic and in Aldi's 260 UK outlets, she claimed.
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It found that with Aldi, only 19% of products were of identifiable Irish origin, while the figure for Lidl was just 6%.
In contrast, Irish-produced goods made up 75% of what is available in Tesco, with Dunnes scoring 88% and SuperValu doing even better at 94%.
"We are not saying that shops trading in Ireland should only sell Irish-produced goods," declared RGDATA director general Ailish Forde.
"We are saying that shops trading in Ireland should support Irish producers and suppliers and give consumers the choice of purchasing Irish products.
"Frankly, at Aldi and Lidl, customers are left in the dark on the level of Irish-produced goods on sale." The two chains, she claimed, were "cocking a snook at consumers" by refusing to specify the source of their products.
Calling for a more supportive approach by them, she cited a recent survey finding that 81% of consumers tried to buy Irish food when shopping, while over 90% favoured the introduction of a green label to identify food as Irish.
"It's not good enough for Aldi and Lidl to take money out of the Irish economy.
"They should give something back by visibly supporting Irish producers and suppliers," she added.
In response, an Aldi spokeswoman said the chain sourced 30% of produce from Irish suppliers, with 150 product lines sold solely in stores in the Republic.
An additional 100 lines, also Irish-sourced, were sold both in the Republic and in Aldi's 260 UK outlets, she claimed.
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