Morrisons has become the first supermarket to start rationing certain items, amid shortages of fresh fruit and veg across the UK.
The leading supermarket is at the time of writing only allowing customers to buy two packs of peppers at a time, while other stores - including Waitrose - see stocks and supplies running low, with barren and empty shelves.
The lacklustre supply has been put down to a poor stint of weather across Spain earlier in the year - with shoppers previously warned that shortages of fresh fruit and veg could drag on until May.
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The Mirror reports that Tesco and Aldi were among the supermarkets to limit peppers earlier this year. Meanwhile, farmers also told retailers that they were not paying enough to grow supplies, having a deeper impact on the number of products grown.
Items such as tomatoes were also affected by Spain's brisk weather, which also affected supplies from Morocco. In February, Lee Stiles, secretary of the Lea Valley Growers Association (LVGA), told the BBC: "The majority of tomatoes, peppers and aubergines are not going to be around in big volumes until May."
In the very same month, a sign spotted outside one Morrisons shop read: "Availability across our tomato range has been significantly impacted by adverse weather conditions across Spain and Morocco. The current shortage is likely to improve within a couple of weeks."
There were in-turn further shortages warned of earlier this week - with essentials such as toilet paper potentially being harder to come by. One business owner warned that the new EU ban on products linked to deforestation.
Cheeky Panda owner, Chris Forbes, told The Grocer: "There will definitely be a squeeze on availability and we can expect the price of recycled tissue to rise as demand for alternatives increases."
Mr Forbes also said that businesses reliant on virgin pulp - which assists in the creation of paper towels, face wipes and toilet paper - will struggle to make changes in time. American finance company MSCI found in a study that 'preparedness does not appear to be high', but major producers like Essity said they were well-prepared for the regulation change.
The company, which produces toilet rolls under the Velvet, Cushelle and Tork brands, said: "Essity fully supports any legislation designed to combat deforestation. We have a long history of working closely with our suppliers under strict requirements to ensure that all of our raw materials are sourced ethically and responsibly."
Essity employs around 400 people at its site in Prudhoe, Northumberland.
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