HOUSEHOLD favourites such as Marmite, Flora and Persil may be difficult to find at Tesco stores following a row between the supermarket giant and Unilever.

The supermarket is digging its heels in after the supplier is believed to have increased prices by ten per cent because of the sharp decrease in the value of the pound.

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Tesco has removed the products for sale online while shelves may be running low of some of the supplier's brands.

Unilever's finance chief has admitted that the prices of its popular products will rise as a result of the collapse in sterling, a day after the firm was accused of "exploiting consumers" following a row with Tesco.

Speaking alongside the group's third quarter results, chief financial officer Graeme Pitkethly said: "In the UK, which accounts for five per cent of turnover, prices should start to increase to cover the cost of imported goods due to weaker sterling."

However, he added that he is confident that the dispute with Tesco will be "resolved very quickly" and said that other Unilever customers have accepted price hikes.

The group, behind brands such as Marmite, Flora and Persil, is believed to have demanded a ten per cent price rise due to the falling value of sterling, halting deliveries to Tesco when it refused.

Since the EU referendum on June 23, the pound has lost nearly 18 per cent of its value against the dollar.

The stand-off has left the supermarket facing a shortage of brands such as Surf washing powder, Comfort fabric conditioner, Hellmann's mayonnaise, Pot Noodle and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.

Mr Pitkethly's comments came as Unilever reported a rise in sales in the third quarter, helped by price increases.

The firm said underlying sales rose 3.2 per cent in the period, with total sales coming in at 13.4 billion euro. However, the firm added that it took a hit from currency movements.

Earlier this year, the firm posted profits of around £2 billion for the first half of 2016.

Chief executive Paul Polman warned in June that a vote to leave the EU's single market would increase prices for consumers.

He said that a vote to Leave would mean hikes in import duties on items such as dairy products, leading to price rises that would affect consumers.

But MPs condemned Unilever, saying the company was using Brexit as an excuse to exploit consumers, and warned it may be damaging its brand.

Conservative MP Sir Gerald Howarth said it will be very damaging to the firm's reputation "if they seek to use the fall in the pound to exploit the consumer".

Shares in both companies took a hit as a result of the spat.

Tesco shares were down 1.96 per cent and Unilever was down 2.46 per cent in morning trading.