New findings from BBC Panorama spotlight discrepancies in Tesco’s Aldi Price Match scheme, highlighting ingredient variations.
- Analysis of 122 Tesco products found 38 items had significantly fewer main ingredients than Aldi’s equivalents.
- Examples include chicken nuggets and chili con carne, with Tesco’s versions containing notably less meat content.
- Conversely, some Tesco products exceeded Aldi in main ingredient content, such as fish fingers and coleslaw.
- Tesco underscores ongoing quality reviews, stressing ingredient proportions don’t equate with product quality.
A recent investigation by BBC Panorama sheds light on the inconsistencies within Tesco’s Aldi Price Match scheme. The analysis, conducted in August, involved 122 Tesco products, of which 38 were identified to contain substantially less of the primary ingredient compared to their Aldi counterparts. This raises questions about the comparability of supposedly matched products in terms of quality and content.
Instances of these discrepancies include Tesco’s chicken nuggets, which consist of only 39% chicken, as opposed to Aldi’s version, which contains 60%. Similarly, the chili con carne offered by Tesco includes merely 15% beef, compared to Aldi’s 27%. Such differences suggest a notable contrast in the ingredient composition between the two retailers’ products.
However, the investigation also highlighted instances where Tesco products were superior in terms of ingredient content. For example, Tesco’s fish fingers were made with 64% Alaska pollock, surpassing Aldi’s 58%. Additionally, Tesco’s coleslaw contains 57% cabbage, compared to Aldi’s 47%. This indicates that while some products fall short, others may provide more substantial ingredient proportions.
In response to these findings, Tesco emphasized its commitment to constantly reviewing product quality and asserted that a higher percentage of a specific ingredient does not inherently signify superior quality. Tesco maintains that all product packaging includes detailed ingredient information, enabling customers to make informed purchasing decisions.
The price matching initiative is not exclusive to Tesco, as other major UK supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Morrisons have also adopted similar strategies. Asda was pioneering in matching prices with both Aldi and Lidl in January, with Morrisons following in February. This trend reflects a wider strategy among traditional retailers to remain competitive against discount grocers.
The BBC investigation into Tesco’s Aldi Price Match scheme highlights significant variations in ingredient content, impacting perceived product comparability and quality.
