EU citizens are mocking UK shoppers by sharing pictures of supermarket shelves filled to the brim with fresh fruit and vegetables as food shortages hit Britain.
Tesco has followed Aldi, Asda and Morrisons in introducing shopper restrictions on certain fresh produce as shops struggle to get supplies due to reported supply chain disruption.
The UK's biggest supermarket brought in a limit of three items per customer on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, Aldi has placed limits on peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes as retailers warned the shortages - although expected to be temporary - were likely to last for weeks.
Asda has introduced a customer limit of three on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries, and Morrisons has set a limit of two items per customer across tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.
Other supermarkets are understood to be considering similar temporary measures.
It comes after an initial shortage of tomatoes affecting UK supermarkets widened to other fruit and vegetables due to a combination of bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe.
Today, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey told farmers "we can't control the weather in Spain" when confronted with the news that supermarkets were limiting sales of fruit and vegetables.
But many online have questioned this explanation after observing that shops elsewhere in Europe did not appear to be experiencing the same problem - and instead believe the problem is a consequence of Brexit.
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One aggrieved shopper wrote: "I’ve been to five supermarkets in the city of London and I could not find tomatoes. Brexit opportunities. Having no food."
Another said: "Gaslighting us all. Europe has no problem with tomatoes or any other veg."
In an attempt to settle the debate, Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall took to Twitter and urged his followers in mainland Europe to share pictures of their supermarket shelves.
He wrote: "For the sake of balanced fairness can some of our mainland European friends pls post photos of their supermarket food shortages? Tx in advance. #BrexitBenefits".
The thread quickly became flooded with images of shelves packed with fresh fruit and vegetables, as one person wrote: "Shelves brimming here in Italy this morning".
Another tweeted: "Certainly no shortage of produce in Southern Spain due to 'bad weather' (eh??)
"Have travelled extensively over the last 5 weeks between Alicante and Almeria. All supermarkets (have shopped most days in Mercadona, Consum, Carrefour etc) crammed with fresh fruit and veg."
A third wrote alongside a photo of stocked shelves: "Taken in my local Billa store 15 mins ago. Also spoke to manager... NO SUPPLY ISSUES on fruit & veg."
It comes as farmers in the UK have cut back on their use of greenhouses to grow winter crops in recent months due to higher electricity prices.
Additional factors affecting the shortages are supply chain issues caused by the Covid pandemic, and a shortage of permanent and seasonal workers due to leaving the European Union.
Others have taken to social media simply to blast supermarkets over the shortage, with one saying it is "not good enough" and just "unacceptable".
One unhappy customer penned: "I'm sorry Tesco, this is not good enough in your Dalmarnock store... lots more shelves with empty boxes throughout the store. Rising prices are bad enough, but lack of basic foodstuffs is unacceptable."
Another social media user joked: "Okay, so I have two tomatoes - willing to swap them for a two bed house or one bed flat in London".
A few lucky fruit and vegetable hunters have emerged amid the current crisis however, with some sellers claiming only supermarkets are affected and local markets are the best place to find their favourites readily available.
One wrote: "Take the supermarket shortage of tomatoes & salad as an opportunity to support small business. No tomato shortages here & only £1 per bowl."
The official Twitter account for Bury Market moved to take full advantage of the supermarket issues, inviting shoppers to "head down" to stalls at Pete's, Paul Smedley's, Iddon's, or Zen's and "grab all you can."
Which stores are affected?
The British Retail Consortium says supermarkets are working with farmers "to ensure that customers are able to access a wide range of fresh produce".
An Asda spokesperson meanwhile said: “Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges on some products that are grown in southern Spain and north Africa.
"We have introduced a temporary limit of three of each product on a very small number of fruit and vegetable lines, so customers can pick up the products they are looking for.”
An Aldi spokesperson said: “We are limiting purchases of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes to three units per person to ensure that as many customers as possible can buy what they need."
Tesco has now introduced a buying limit of three items per customer on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
A spokesman for The Co-Op told the Mirror it has "no plans" to introduce buying limits of fruit and vegetables at this time.
Waitrose told said it was monitoring the situation but it has no plans on introducing buying limits in its stores, while Marks and Spencers have said they will not introduce limits as it has been able to "mitigate" the impact through different supplier routes.
German discounter Lidl has said it doesn't currently have plans to put limits in place.
Ocado have been approached for comment.
