Fears of UK crisp shortage as UK heatwave after cold winter hits potato crop
Spud stocks could be wrecked by the Beast from the East cold snap and the ongoing heatwave, farmers have warned
A CRISP crisis is looming after potato crops were wrecked by extreme weather this year.
Stocks of Britain's favourite snack could be wiped out after the Beast from the East and an early summer heatwave ruined spud production, a leading crisp maker warned.
Alex Albone, co-founder of Pipers Crisps, told : “There is a danger we will have a crisp crisis.”
It comes as a C02 shortage threatens production of dozens of food staples like crumpets, fizzy drinks — and beer.
Sub zero temperatures in February this year created dire conditions for British potatoes.
But the current heatwave is creating an even bigger headache for farmers to protect their crop.
Potatoes need plenty of sunshine — but they can stop growing about 25C.
Worried Norfolk farmer Andrew Francis told the paper he had never experienced such poor conditions in a single six-month period.
He said that if the heat persists we could see “shortages in some vegetables, including potatoes”.
The 25-year spud veteran said: "We weren’t able to get on the fields for a three-week period in spring. That is just unheard of.”
The ongoing CO2 crisis is also threatening fresh meat production as it is used in animal slaughter.
The gas is also used in the packing and storage process of frozen food.
We weren’t able to get on the fields for a three-week period in spring. That is just unheard of
Andrew Francis
Ian Wright, top boss as the Food and Drink Federation, told the BBC Today Programme last week: "We will see fewer chicken dishes, fewer pork and bacon dishes.
"We'll see probably less carbonated drinks and certainly bakery and other things that benefit from what's called modified atmosphere packaging, which is plastic packaging with a tray underneath and a dish of food in them."
Scotland's biggest abattoir is closed last week and some food and drink firms have called on the government to help return the supply.
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Coca-Cola has also "paused some production lines" as giant joins latest hit with UK CO2 shortage.
And Asda limited the online purchases of a number of drink bottles and multi-packs — including own-label and big brands like Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and 7Up.
More CO2 supplies, which puts the fizz in soft drinks, are not expected to resume until later this week, the Food and Drink Federation warned.
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