CO2 shortage: Tesco-owned Booker restricts beer sales
Food wholesaler Booker is rationing beer and cider because of a shortage of CO2 used in carbonated drinks.
The Tesco-owned retailer, which is used by bars, restaurants and traders, is capping customers to 10 cases of beer, and five of cider or soft drinks.
It is more evidence that a scarcity of CO2 is hurting the food and drink sectors, and comes after Heineken and Coca-Cola faced disruption.
Scotland’s biggest abattoir has halted operations because of the gas shortage.
Quality Pork Limited (QPL), at Brechin, which puts 6,000 pigs a week through its production line, stopped operations on Tuesday afternoon because it ran out of CO2 used to stun the animals before slaughter.
QPL plans to send about 1,000 pigs to another plant near Manchester this week, but operators say other abattoirs also face a carbon dioxide shortage.
Factory closure
Booker said in a statement: “Due to the international shortage of CO2, we are experiencing some supply issues on soft drinks and beer.
“We are currently working hard with our suppliers to minimise the impact for our customers and cannot comment further at this stage.”
CO2 producers in the UK and mainland Europe have scaled back operations for maintenance, causing a shortage of the gas, whose many uses include improving the shelf life of packaged food and creating dry ice to keep products cool during transport.
Click here to read more (Source: BBC News)