Denmark: Purchases of cooking oil limited in Danish supermarkets

NordenBladet — A number of supermarket chains in Denmark are putting limits on the purchasing of cooking oil due to the current conflict in Ukraine. Danish chains The Salling Group, Rema 1000, and now Coop have limited the amount of cooking oil consumers can purchase.

In Scandinavia, cooking oil is normally widely available in supermarkets, grocery stores, and online shops. There are also specialty stores that sell high-quality oils and gourmet ingredients, which are popular among food enthusiasts and professional chefs. Many Scandinavians purchase cooking oil from local farmers’ markets and health food stores, where they can find organic and also locally produced oils.

According to the latest data from 2017, the average consumption of cooking oil in Sweden was around 11 liters per person per year, in Denmark it was around 10 liters per person per year, and in Norway it was around 9 liters per person per year.

Speaking to TV2 News, the Head of Communications at Coop, Lars Aarup, explains, “We don’t currently have a lack of oil, but we are doing it out of due diligence.”

It is reported that customers are now limited to buying three bottles of oil per day from Coop’s chains, including, Irma, Fact, Kvickly, and Superbrugsen. Last week, Rema 1000 and The Sailing, which runs Føtex, Netto, and Bilka, also announced rationing.

“Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest producers of sunflower oil. The war has led to fewer deliveries and, while we are not sold out, the demand for it and other oil products is increasing worldwide,” states Jonas Schrøder, Rema 1000’s Head of Communications.