Christmas dinner could be canceled as Britons face meat shortage “in two weeks”

There are fears the Christmas dinner may be “canceled” due to a carbon dioxide (CO2) shortage, the UK’s largest poultry supplier has warned.

The unprecedented rise in gas prices has forced the closure of two large fertilizer factories in Teesside and Cheshire, which supply CO2 produced as a by-product to the food industry.

Gas is vital in cooling systems used for refrigeration, which means frozen foods are susceptible to severe damage. It also extends the shelf life of products and is used when slaughtering livestock.

Industry experts warn that the shortage is likely to impact the supply of meat on supermarket shelves the following week.

The owner of Bernard Matthews and 2 Sisters Food Group says the problem, combined with a shortage of workers, will impact the supply of Christmas turkeys and could tip the industry “over the edge”.

Ranjit Singh Boparan explained, “There are less than 100 days until Christmas and Bernard Matthews and my other poultry companies are working harder than ever to try to recruit people to maintain the food supply.

“Nothing has fundamentally changed since I spoke about this issue in July. In fact, I take no pleasure in pointing out that the empty shelves on the shelves that I had warned about are increasing day by day.

He continued, “The supply of Bernard Matthews turkeys this Christmas was already in jeopardy as I have to find an additional 1,000 workers to process the supplies. From now on, without a CO2 supply, Christmas will be canceled.

“The CO2 problem is a big blow to the body and puts us at breaking point, it really is – it’s poultry, beef, pork, as well as the food industry at large.

“Without CO2, the bottom line is that there is less throughput and with our industry already compromised by a lack of manpower, this potentially tilts us over.”

The intervention is far from the first warning regarding the UK’s Christmas supplies, including wine, and comes amid various shortages across the country, which experts have blamed in part on Brexit, Covid and staff shortages.

The government met with a number of industry leaders on Saturday to discuss CO2 issues and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng tweeted that there was no “immediate cause for concern” about the supply. in UK gas.

But Mr Boparan went on to warn that keeping poultry on farms would jeopardize animal welfare as well as significant reductions in supply.

He added: “Prepared meals (will lose) this vital shelf life. There is a potential for massive food waste in all areas.

“This is clearly a national security issue and unlike the labor supply crisis, where the government’s response to our sector has been disappointing to say the least, it needs to be addressed fully. emergency.

“It really boggles the mind when such a key infrastructure operation can arbitrarily turn off the taps due to price inflation. It is irresponsible and catastrophic for our sector. ‘

He continued, “It’s hard enough to have a hand tied behind your back just not having enough people to provide food.

“With the additional CO2, the two hands are linked. The government must act now or we will have another canceled Christmas.

Ian Wright, managing director of the UK Food and Drink Federation, told BBC Radio 4 on Saturday that the government must “intervene” on gas prices.

He went on to say, “Assuming that didn’t happen, I would have thought that the impacts probably wouldn’t be felt at this hour next week, but in the following week.

“And of course that’s concerning because we’re starting to get into the pre-Christmas supply period when warehouses start to pick themselves up, build their stocks, ready for the Christmas push a few weeks later.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “We are aware of the issues some companies face and are working closely with industry to provide support and advice.

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“We have had many meetings with representatives from the meat production and processing sectors, and we are continuing those conversations this weekend.

“The UK benefits from access to a wide variety of gas supply sources to ensure that households, businesses and heavy industry get the energy they need at a fair price.

“Our exposure to volatile global gas prices underscores the importance of our plan to create a strong and local renewable energy sector to further reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. “

Cop26 chairman and former business secretary Alok Sharma said the public should be reassured that there is no immediate cause for concern.

“The clear message that comes out of this is that there is no immediate problem in terms of supply, we do not see any risk for the winter,” he told Trevor Phillips of Sky News in the Sunday show.

“People have to be confident that the supplies will be there and that we will protect them in terms of rising prices. But of course, we’re not complacent about it.

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