UK supermarket Tesco says some Heinz products not available due to pricing dispute

"We’re sorry that this means some products aren’t available right now, but we have plenty of alternatives to choose from and we hope to have this issue resolved soon," it added. A spokesperson for Kraft Heinz it was working closely with Tesco to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

Britain's biggest supermarket group Tesco said on Wednesday some Kraft Heinz products were not available in its stores after the U.S. food producer paused supply due to a dispute over pricing.

"We will not pass on unjustifiable price increases to our customers," Tesco said in a statement. "We're sorry that this means some products aren't available right now, but we have plenty of alternatives to choose from and we hope to have this issue resolved soon," it added.

A spokesperson for Kraft Heinz it was working closely with Tesco to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. "We are confident of a positive resolution," they said.

The spat highlights the tension in the sector over who bears the most pain of soaring cost price inflation - manufacturers, retailers or consumers. Kraft Heinz said that in the challenging economic environment – with commodity and production costs rising - it was looking at ways to provide value for customers "through price, size and packs" without compromising on quality.

UK inflation hit an over 40-year high of 9.1% in May and is forecast to hit double digits.