The Environment Secretary has warned that there may be a further month of shortages of some fruits and vegetables.
Produce stores have recently been empty due to poor harvests in Africa and Europe, bad weather, and transportation issues.
The number of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and peppers that customers can put in their baskets and carts is capped.
One shopper who attempted to buy 100 cucumbers was turned away by shop staff.
Therese Coffey today warned the Commons that disruption could last for weeks.
She told MPs: ‘I am led to believe by my officials after discussion with industry and retailers, we anticipate the situation will last about another two to four weeks.
‘It is important that we try and make sure that we get alternative sourcing options. That is why the department has already been in discussion with the retailers.
‘It is why there will be further discussions led by ministers as well, so that we can try and get over this and try and avoid similar situations in the future.
‘Even if we cannot control the weather it is important that we try and make sure the supply continues to not be frustrated in quite the way it has been due to these unusual weather incidents.’
Experts have told Metro.co.uk about the multitude of reasons behind the situation supermarkets are facing.
Yesterday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer added that ‘food security is national security’ and that his party would commit to ‘buying, making and selling more in Britain’.
But, in the Commons today, Ms Coffey took aim at the rival party’s stance.
She warned Labour to ‘be careful about making sure that we continue to have confidence in the food supply chain’ as shadow environment secretary Jim McMahon asked a question on the issue.
Retailers warned on Tuesday of a shortage of tomatoes and other fruit and vegetables with some supermarkets restricting what their customers can buy.
Bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe have left shelves bare of tomatoes and are hindering the supply of other fresh produce.
Asda has introduced a customer limit of three on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries, and Morrisons said it would be introducing limits of two items per customer across tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers from Wednesday.
The NFU president told delegates yesterday that ‘the clock is ticking’ for the Government to get inflation under control so farmers can produce food more reliably and protect the country’s food security.
Minette Batters said: ‘It’s ticking for Government to start putting meaningful, tangible and effective meat on the bones of the commitments it has made.
‘Commitments to promote domestic food production, to properly incentivise sustainable and climate-friendly farming, to put farmers and growers at the heart of our trade policy, to guarantee our food security and to back British farming and British food.’