UK dairy group admits price fixing

Dairy group and cheesemaker Lactalis McLelland today became the latest firm to admit its part in the price-fixing scandal thought to have cost consumers around £270m (€361m).

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said that Lactalis McLelland – the group behind brands such as Seriously Strong Cheddar – had agreed to pay a fine after reaching an early resolution.

Supermarkets Asda, Sainsbury’s and Safeway, prior to its takeover by Morrisons, as well as a number of dairies, have already admitted price-fixing during 2002 and 2003.

The firms will pay combined fines of more than £120m (€160m), with dairies Robert Wiseman, Dairy Crest and The Cheese Company also found provisionally guilty by the OFT last September.

But retailers Tesco and Morrisons are still fighting the OFT claims and it was reported earlier this week that Morrisons was taking legal action against the watchdog over its naming in the investigation.