UK Supermarkets Face Summer Shortages of Chicken, Pork, and Fizzy Drinks
Government ministers are reportedly drawing up contingency plans for a "reasonable worst-case scenario" as the UK could face gaps on supermarket shelves by the summer if the Iran war continues. There could be shortages of carbon dioxide, potentially hitting supplies of chicken, pork, and fizzy drinks.
Government Response and Industry Insights
Business Secretary Peter Kyle called the leak of these plans "unhelpful", telling Times Radio: "The public need to be reassured that we are doing this kind of planning and we are doing this kind of scenario planning." He added on Sky News: "If any of these things change, I will be upfront with the public about it in advance so that we can prepare. But right now, people should go on as they are, enjoying beer, enjoying their meats, enjoying all the salads."
Ken Murphy, the chief executive of Tesco, said the government was "doing the right thing in planning for a worst case scenario" on potential interruptions to CO2 supply. He noted that the government had made a "reasonable analysis" and welcomed the reopening of the Teesside plant. However, Murphy stated that Tesco had "seen nothing at this point" in terms of problems within its supply chain caused by issues with CO2 availability and that "at this point none of our suppliers have flagged any issues to us."
Impact on Food and Hospitality Sectors
According to reports by Aubrey Allegretti in The Times, officials have drawn up contingency plans amid fears that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will lead to shortages of carbon dioxide, which is critical to the food industry. Farming and hospitality would likely be hit earliest and hardest, given CO2 is used to help increase the shelf life of food such as:
- Salad
- Packaged meats
- Baked goods
CO2 is also used in the process of slaughtering nearly all pigs and more than two thirds of chickens, and the sector is not thought to have much by way of surplus supplies. While the government does have stockpiles, this was said to not be a long-term solution. Although there are not expected to be critical food supply shortages, officials anticipate there could be a lack of product variety in shops, affecting consumer choices.
