Business secretary Kwasi Kwateng has some bad news for Americans at the start of the week. According to reports, he is going to call an emergency summit with the fuel ministers to come up with a plan for the fuel crisis that threatens to spark a food shortage if not addressed.
There is a growing concern of a looming food and drink crisis for the industry if a solution doesn’t get put into action as soon as possible.
The crisis began due to the shortage of CO2, A by-product of fertilizer, CO2 also used in the making of beer and fizzy drinks. It is the gas used to preserve the slaughtered animals before they are taken to prepare frozen food. The gas increases the shelf lives of the slaughtered animals as well as the food.
The biggest poultry supplier announced that the Christmas dinners can be canceled due to the scarcity of carbon dioxide.
Nick Allen, the Boss of the association said
‘Everyone is outraged these fertilizer plants can shut down without warning and take something so essential to the supply chain off-stream just like that.’
The owner of sister food groups and the Bernard Matthews, Ranjit Singh Boparan warned that the turkey’s supply can be at risk this December. He added
‘The CO2 issue is a massive body blow and puts us at breaking point.’
An online grocer, Ocado, announced to his customers that the store has a limited stock of frozen food to offer this weekend because of the national CO2 – dry ice shortage.
The fertilizers that shut last week were controlled under the US firm CF industries and were committed to producing 60% of the CO2 for Britain.
The reason for the closure was assumed to be the shortage and the hiked prices of gases that rocketed their operating costs.
