Supermarkets and restaurants facing fizzy drink and meat shortages AGAIN over CO2 deal fears

SUPERMARKETS and restaurants are facing fizzy drink, bread and meat shortages again as a deal to keep CO2 supplies going comes to an end.

Brits could be facing emptier shelves within weeks if there are further CO2 disruptions.

AlamyShoppers faced empty shelves last year due to CO2 shortages and the ‘pingdemic’[/caption]

Last year there were food and drink shortages at supermarkets and fast food chains due to a lack of the vital gas.

It’s needed to create fizzy drinks, slaughter livestock and keep packaged products fresh.

McDonald’s ran out of milkshakes and fizzy drinks and KFC and Nando’s were both hit by a shortage of chicken over the summer.

Between September 22 and October 3, up to eight million Brits were unable to buy essential food items.

In September, the government secured a deal with American firm CF Industries, which makes more than half of the UK’s CO2, to continue the production of the gas.

But that agreement only ran until the end of January, leaving the future production of CO2 uncertain.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said the supply of fizzy drinks, meat and bread could be impacted again.

But the business department said it doesn’t expect “any significant disruption to essential food supplies”, according to the BBC.

The Sun has contacted the department for further comment.

Kate Halliwell, chief scientific officer at the FDF, said she is concerned that there will be further CO2 shortages, leading to empty shelves.

She also warned it could lead to higher prices for customers, who are already feeling the pinch as the cost of living rises.

“We are concerned that with just days now remaining before that agreement comes to an end, and energy prices still very high, there will be further CO2 shortages once again,” she said.

“This could lead to shortages in the products we find on our supermarket shelves – adding further pressures to families already coping with high food-price inflation.

“We will continue to work with the Government on this. It is critical that together we ensure supply can continue and that we build long-term resilience into the production of food-grade CO2.”