Nicholas Watt,Newsnight political editorand
Jamie Whitehead,BBC News
The UK could face some food shortages including chicken and pork by the summer if the Iran war continues in a worst case scenario drawn up by government officials.
A government source told the BBC it was planning for a scenario which would involve the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and breakdowns in the supply of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The source stressed the planning was not a prediction of what will happen, and did not suggest there would be a lack of food supplies.
CO2 is used in the slaughter of some animals and in food preservation.
On Thursday, Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the availability of CO2 was not a concern for the British economy “at this moment.”
“Right now, people should go on as they are,” he told Sky News.
The boss of Tesco has said there are no issues with food availability after the contingency plans were reported by the Times.
Ken Murphy said none of his growers, suppliers and manufacturers had raised any supply risks so far.
“We are not flagging any issues in our supply chain at this point… we’re not seeing any availability issues. We are in very good shape.”
Murphy would not comment on what may happen to food prices and said “we don’t know what it’s going to look like, because clearly this is a volatile, unpredictable situation.”
Petrol and diesel prices have soared since the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February and Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial global waterway for oil and gas transport.
Iran’s blockade has led to higher costs globally for fuel and fertiliser, both crucial elements of food production.
The plant manufactures bioethanol, which produces CO2, and was shut after the government struck a trade deal with the US to remove a tariff on American ethanol imports into the UK.
Earlier this week the International Monetary Fund warned that the war could plunge the global economy into recession, with the UK set to be the hardest hit of the world’s advanced economies.
US President Donald Trump has suggested talks aimed at ending the war in Iran could resume this week, after negotiations collapsed at the weekend, prompting the US to blockade Iranian ports.