Supermarket chains in Belgium are prepared to enter into discussions aimed at rationalising the colour of the foil covering individual Easter eggs, the VRT reports. At present, the various chains – Delhaize, Carrefour, Colruyt, Aldi and Lidl – sell mini-eggs in a variety of colours irrespective of the type of chocolate contained inside. According to a VRT vox pop, some people, particularly children, find the surprise element pleasant. Others have trouble coping with disappointment. “I give it to mama,” said one boy when asked how he handles an unwelcome surprise.
Uniformity is anything but easy to find, concludes a survey by Het Nieuwsblad. Take for example a simple milk chocolate egg with praline filling: Milka eggs are yellow, Colruyt purple, Lidl green striped, Galler beige, Albert Heijn brown, Carrefour pale blue and Delhaize pink.
According to a spokesperson for the Lidl chain, the matter is certainly a subject for discussion and possible concertation among the chains, in time for next Easter perhaps. However, that would require not only the cooperation of competing supermarkets, but also the agreement of suppliers of eggs both at home and abroad.
“Our purchasing department will be contacting other purchasers to see if things can be made any better,” said Isabelle Co-branded of Lidl. “There's already a certain amount of agreement regarding the basic construction, we'll now have to see with our competitors if that can be improved in some way.”
The supermarket sector federation Comeos takes the question seriously. “The colour of the wrapping around Easter eggs is certainly, especially in this period of the year, no laughing matter,” a spokesperson said.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
The Brussels Times
