The Northern Ireland Secretary has said that problems with empty shelves in supermarkets across the country are due to Covid-19 and not Brexit.
Brandon Lewis made the comments as the Agriculture Minister Edin Poots warned of gravy and jelly shortages as a result of the Northern Ireland protocol, which has been implemented as part of the post-Brexit trade deal.
Mr Lewis told Sky News: "The unfettered access was always about Northern Ireland businesses into Great Britain - yes there is.
"The flow of food and goods linked to the EU and the Northern Ireland Protocol has been good actually.
"Where we've seen some images of empty shelves in Northern Ireland - although let's be clear we've seen them across the UK recently - has been linked to Covid and some of the challenges we've had at Dover due to Covid just before Christmas and the flow through the supply line of that rather than through the protocol.
"Supermarkets we've been talking to regularly have good flows of supply and that's important to Northern Ireland, being an integral part of the United Kingdom."
Northern Ireland is currently in the middle of a "soft touch" period with the EU with regards to trade regulations, with DUP minister Edwin Poots warning processed goods like jelly or gravy could be unavailable in Northern Ireland at the end of the protocol grace period.
The DUP minister said: "We do not need these barriers. "We need common sense, particularly from the EU.
"We need a message going out from all of our companies that we do not need barriers which are going to put costs on."
The Stormont minister also stood by his claim that school and hospital supplies could be affected once the grace period ends.
Some supermarket shelves were depleted this month as suppliers grappled with new rules surrounding sending goods from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland.
The protocol means Northern Ireland follows the EU's rules on matters like animal product standards and creates extra paperwork on goods travelling from Great Britain.
