While anti-inflation baskets are about to be implemented in supermarkets in France, that of System U stores raises questions. Indeed, the choice of products is more than debatable.
For several months, France has been undergoing a very significant inflationary episode, and food products are not spared. In order to protect the purchasing power of the French, the Government has launched a new system, which could be put in place in March 2023: the anti-inflation basket. The idea is to sell at the lowest possible price around twenty basic necessities (food, hygiene products, etc.) in supermarkets. This new system is based on the volunteers of the brands. It is made up of private label products and therefore varies from store to store.
The sign U-system thus proposed an inflation basket composed of 150 products at “cost price”. It was combed through by the UFC-que-Choisir, report our colleagues from Free lunch. According to the consumer defense association, the food content of the U basket raises questions. And for good reason, there are bad health productslike pastis, vodkasyrup, sweets, chips or sodas. There are also no fruits or vegetables present in the list of 150 products. According to the UFC, 39% of Nutri-Score products show a mediocre or even bad result.
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“We can wonder about the presence of no less than eight different alcohols”
“While they are supposed to help households to feed themselves at a reasonable price, one can wonder about the presence of no less than eight different alcohols”, deplores the association on its site. For its part, the retail brand wanted to defend itself. “We relied on high-rotation U brand products. We tried to offer a wide range, even if we can always find something to ask”explained the spokesperson for the U system, Thierry Desouches. “Offering fresh fruits and vegetables was too complex to set upbecause their purchase is not centralized, but managed locally by the stores”she also justified herself.