BBC Panorama highlights discrepancies in Tesco’s Aldi price-matched products.
- Various Tesco items contain less of their main ingredients compared to Aldi equivalents.
- Key products, such as chicken nuggets and chicken kievs, show significant differences.
- Out of 122 items, 38 Tesco products had notably fewer main ingredients.
- Tesco defends its practices, stating ingredient quantity does not define quality.
The recent analysis by BBC Panorama has brought to light notable discrepancies in Tesco’s claims regarding their price-matched products with Aldi. Upon inspection, it was found that several Tesco products contained significantly lower percentages of their main ingredients compared to those offered by Aldi. This revelation has sparked a conversation about the true comparability of these price-matched claims.
Among the scrutinised products, Tesco’s chicken nuggets and chicken kievs were highlighted. Tesco’s chicken nuggets reportedly contained only 39% chicken, while Aldi’s version boasted 60%. Similarly, the chicken kievs at Tesco had 44% chicken, in contrast to the 57% found in the Aldi equivalent. Furthermore, Tesco’s chilli con carne was reported to contain just 15% beef, whereas Aldi’s contained 27%.
An examination of 122 Tesco products revealed that 38 items had at least five percentage points less of their main ingredient than the Aldi counterparts to which they were supposedly matched. Interestingly, twelve Tesco products were found to have a higher percentage of their primary ingredients when compared to Aldi.
When approached for a statement, a representative from Tesco insisted that the quality of their products is under constant review, with systems in place to ensure comparability with rival offerings. Tesco also argued that a higher quantity of a particular ingredient does not necessarily equate to superior quality.
BBC Panorama’s investigation did not find a consistent pattern of ingredient disparity in the Aldi price-matched products offered by other leading supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Morrisons. This specificity to Tesco’s offerings has, therefore, drawn significant attention.
The investigation raises questions about the accuracy and fairness of Tesco’s price-matching strategy with Aldi.
