UK— Multiple major UK supermarkets have been hit with a temporary shortage of Mars bars in due to production issues and a high level of demand.

Mars Wrigley has been producing the bars in the UK at the company’s factory in Slough since 1932, with a current capacity to make almost three million bars a day, according to the company.

A number of stores over the holiday weekend had empty shelves in the Mars section, with ‘out of stock’ messages on many websites with shops based in London and the south-east of England seem to be most affected by the shortages.

And what’s worse for many chocolate lovers across the United Kingdom, is that certain retailers are reportedly not expecting further deliveries of the popular chocolate bar for at least a fortnight.

Commenting on the situation, a Mars Wrigley spokesperson said: “We are experiencing high levels of demand on a number of our treats. ‘We are producing significant quantities and want to reassure the British public that our much-loved brands are still available nationwide.”

The UK and Europe are experiencing widespread food shortages caused by an increase in wholesale prices, high inflation, challenging weather conditions, and international import problems due to the war in Ukraine.

We are experiencing high levels of demand on a number of our treats. We are producing significant quantities and want to reassure the British public that our much-loved brands are still available nationwide

Last month US chocolate manufacturer Hershey warned of shortages over Halloween, saying the company “will not be able to fully meet consumer demand” – but has since clarified its statement claiming there will be minimal disruption to supplies.

KitKat maker Nestlé announced a 6.5% rise in prices earlier this year due to “significant and unprecedented cost inflation”, but has so far not experienced supply-chain issues in the UK.

Meanwhile in the UK, potato prices have dramatically increased following the recent heatwave, with high temperatures having punished crops across the country. As a result, between 20 and 40 chip shops are shutting in Britain every month, reports The National Federation of Fish Friers’.

Pandemic-induced global supply chain disruptions and the Russia-Ukraine war have crunched supplies of cocoa, edible oil and other food ingredients, pinching production lines of packaged food companies around the world.

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