A Dutch supermarket chain has taken a selection of Unilever products off its shelves in a dispute over contract terms.

Albert Heijn, the biggest supermarket chain in the Netherlands, has removed fewer than 30 of the hundreds of Unilever products it sells, but such disputes rarely go as far as taking products off the shelves.

The dispute is over supply terms which are negotiated yearly, but both companies have declined to give further details.

Products produced by Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever include Lipton teas, Dove beauty products, Knorr soups and Magnum ice cream.

Piling on the pressure

"It is just a few versions of some brands that are not available in our shops," said a spokesman for the supermarket, explaining a fax that was sent to shop managers telling them to remove the products.

"We hope we can soon solve this incident, but that not only depends on us, it also depends on Unilever," he added.

Albert Heijn is owned by Ahold, the world's third-biggest retailer. It also owns Stop & Shop in the US, where about 60% of its turnover is generated in the US.

"We are in negotiations with Albert Heijn about supply conditions and now Albert Heijn is putting pressure with this step," Unilever spokesman Tom Gordijn said.