Marmite Brexit battle shows how Unilever and other retail giants control most of the food we buy
You'll probably recognise more than a few of these products from your cupboard shelves
BRITISH shoppers are at the mercy of just 10 mega multi-nationals who own and control everyday food, drink and healthcare products in supermarkets up and down the country.
This week's "Marmitegate" drama between Tesco and Unilever has unzipped the unsavoury truth that a select group of huge companies dominate our shelves.
The image above was produced by two years ago and it show just how these ten firms dominate our shopping lists - and they've been doing it for years, too.
Controlling everything from Cheerios to Tropicana, household brands owned by the likes of Kellog's, Nestlé and Unilever make up the vast majority of items in our shopping trolleys.
With Pot Noodles, PG Tips and Marmite pulled from the shelves of Tesco earlier this week, we've already had a glimpse of just how far Unilever's reach extends.
Other brands under Unilever's control include Dove, Lynx, Simple and Vaseline, meaning you cannot even escape them in the privacy of your bathroom.
In the health and beauty sector alone, globally Unilever owns 400 brands - 42 of which are sold in the UK. By Unilever's own estimates, its brands feature in 98 per cent of households across the UK.
In the UK and Ireland, Nestlé owns 84 everyday brands, including Shredded Wheat cereals, Kit Kat, Nesquick and Purina Petcare, it told The Sun Online.
Best known for its breakfast cereal brands, Kellog's, which was founded in 1898, owns brands including All Bran, Coco Pops, Crunchy Nut and Special K.
RELATED STORIES
While Kellog's has our breakfast-times wrapped up, Pepscico services our insatiable appetite for snacks. Pepsico owns Walkers crisps, Doritos and Sunbites, as well as Tropicana orange juice.
As well as quenching our thirst for Coca-Cola, global giant Coca-Cola also owns the Sprite, Fanta and Dr Pepper brands. It's reach evens extends to "smart water".
Another one of the top 10 players in our shopping trolleys is Danone, which owns brands including Activia yogurt and Actimel.
Mondelez, formerly known as Cadbury's, which controversially fell into Kraft's American hands in 2010, caters for the nation's sweet tooth, with a host of brands including Twirl, Crunchie and Turkish Delight, Time Out and Boost.
Meanwhile, Associated British Foods owns well-known brands like the Blue Dragon range of sauces, Jordans cereal, Ryvita, Kingsmill bread and Twinnings tea.
As well as its well-known chocolate bars, Mars owns Dolmio sauces, Uncle Ben's Rice and Seeds of Change.
While you may never have heard of it, a firm called General Mills also has a big influence of your trip to the supermarket. The company owns a string of brands including Häagen-Dazs ice-cream, Green Giant sweetcorn and Just-Rol pastry.
In 2014, Oxfam created the info-graphic above revealing how far a handful of companies' reach extends, while encouraging such companies to do more for consumers and the planet.
Unilever's role in our everyday lives has been thrown under the spotlight amid it's post-Brexit vote pricing dispute earlier this week.
Refusing to up its prices by 10 per cent as Unilever requested following the drop in the pound, Tesco pulled a number of key brands including Marmite and PG Tips from its online store and across many branches.
On Thursday, Unilever announced the dispute had been resolved.
Unilever said: "Unilever is pleased to confirm that the supply situation with Tesco in the UK and Ireland has now been successfully resolved."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368