The Belgian government inspection body FOD has banned supermarket Albert Heijn from offering three products for the price of one, online paper Nu.nl reports

Albert Heijn is known as a low-cost supermarket in Belgium. However, Belgian rules forbid products being sold at a loss.

The FOD may bring the case to court or agree on a settlement, Nu.nl said.

Belgian consumer affairs minister Kris Peeters, who ordered the investigation into the supermarket offer, said ‘normal competition becomes impossible if supermarkets sell at a loss (..) allowing big players to crush the smaller players. We cannot allow that.’ He has invited Albert Heijn for a talk.

A spokesman for Albert Heijn said they would be happy to accept. The 1+2 for free offer only lasted a week, he said, but was successful ‘beyond expectation’.