Morrisons, the UK grocer, is to sue the country’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for linking the company to alleged price-fixing in the dairy sector.
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The company remains part of the ongoing inquiry into claims that retailers and dairy processors fixed the price of milk, butter and cheese in 2002 and 2003.
Two months ago, three retailers – Asda, Sainsbury and Safeway – and three dairy firms admitted they had colluded to fix prices in return for reduced fines.
However, Morrisons, alongside rival grocer Tesco and dairy processor Lactalis McLelland remains part of the probe into the affair, which the OFT claims cost consumers some GBP270m (US$546m).
Morrisons had asked the OFT to publicly clarify the retailer’s position in the ongoing investigation. The OFT then issued a surprise statement on the behest of Morrisons in which it explicitly stated why the retailer remains under suspicion.
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By GlobalDataThe OFT said Morrisons was under suspicion of collusion over certain liquid milk products. The watchdog added that its clarification related only to Morrisons and not to Safeway, which Morrisons bought in 2004.
Today (11 February), a spokesperson for the OFT confirmed that Morrisons had launched legal action against the watchdog but declined to comment further.
Officials for Morrisons also declined to comment when contacted by just-food.
