It's gone too far now: CO2 shortage halts crumpet production

[dutchman]

The company says it is making "nowhere near" the 1.5 million packs of crumpets it usually does each week.



You may have trouble finding crumpets in supermarkets as Warburton's suffers the effects of a carbon dioxide shortage.

One of the UK's biggest bread makers says it has ended production at two out of four of its plants because they have run out of CO2, which they use to package the product.

The shortage affects the Warburton's London and Burnley plants, and there is not a frequent supply at its Stockton site.

"As a result of the ongoing CO2 shortage, we are producing nowhere near the 1.5 million packs of crumpets we usually make each week," says Tearmh Taylor, corporate and consumer affairs manager at Warburtons.

"This will remain the case until the CO2 supply returns to normal. But, rest assured we are working really hard to keep our products on Britain's shelves."

The low supplies are due to a longer than usual break in production of ammonia, one of the key sources of Europe's food grade CO2.

Carbon dioxide is widely used in "modified atmosphere packaging".

It is part of a gas mixture which is used to remove oxygen from food packaging to prolong the shelf life and keep food looking fresh.

The CO2 cris has also hit the brewing industry and some pig processing plants.

[dutchman]

Asda forced to ration sale of fizzy drinks as CO2 shortage continues



Asda is rationing the amount of fizzy drinks its customers can buy as the country’s CO2 ”crisis” worsens.

The supermarket giant has put a cap on shoppers buying more than six bottles or multipacks of soft drinks online.

Its own-label soft drinks have been rationed, as well as big name brands Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and 7Up.

The limit does not apply to sales in-store, a spokesperson for Asda confirmed.

The shortage of CO2 – which is used to put the fizz into drinks and to keep food fresh – has also affected sales of beer, cider and meat, meaning shoppers could find they have a lack of choice when it comes to their food shop.

Pubs, corner shops and restaurants have run out of some top beer and cider brands on what is expected to be one of their busiest weekends of the year as World Cup celebrations coincide with warm weather.

Booker, the UK’s biggest food and drink wholesaler, has limited beer and soft drink sales to thousands of pubs, bars and shops across the country.

And supermarkets have now warned the shortage could hit meat supplies, creating a shortage in UK shops.