FILE PHOTO: A customer walks into the German discount supermarket ALDI in Sydney, Australia June 19, 2015. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo

(Reuters) -An Australian regulator said on Monday it has started civil proceedings against a few fresh produce suppliers over alleged price fixing in sales to German retailer ALDI's local arm, which clarified that it has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commision (ACCC) has launched proceedings in the Federal Court against four suppliers and three senior executives, alleging they engaged in price fixing of key household vegetables supplied to stores of ALDI, the third-largest supermarket chain in Australia, between 2018 and 2024.

In an emailed statement to Reuters, ALDI's spokesperson said that it was aware of the allegations, but was "not the subject of these allegations, nor has it been investigated for any potential wrongdoing".

The ACCC alleged that on 28 separate occasions, two or more of the suppliers entered into arrangements aimed at controlling or maintaining the price of broccoli, cauliflower, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, Brussels sprouts, or zucchini.

"Businesses acting together instead of competing can drive up prices and harm consumers, while disadvantaging other businesses that are seeking to compete fairly," ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said on Monday.

ALDI operates more than 13,000 stores across 18 countries including Germany, the United States, the UK, Australia, China, and much of Europe, making it one of the world's largest supermarket chains.

In March, ACCC said the country's dominant supermarket chains benefited from wider profit margins at a time of rapidly increasing shelf prices.

(Reporting by Roshan Thomas and John Biju in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)