Nationwide shortage of popular grocery buy sparks confusion, dismay: ‘Gone as well’
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Australia is currently grappling with a nationwide shortage that's leaving supermarket shelves bare and customers scrambling.
The culprit? A critical ingredient shortage is impacting the supply of a popular item—soft drinks.
The shortage is particularly affecting home-brand soda water and lemonade, with about 20 Woolworths-brand soft drinks also impacted.
This has left soft drink lovers across the country facing sparse options at the supermarket, and supermarkets themselves are hard-pressed to substitute affected ranges.
A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed that shortages of carbon dioxide (CO2)—a critical ingredient in the production of soft drinks—had impacted the supply.
'We are working to manage these impacts, and a number of alternative products are available to customers while these shortages continue,' the spokesperson said.
The shortage has sparked confusion and dismay among consumers, with some taking to social media to express their frustration at not being able to find their go-to drink.
Some have even questioned whether Woolworths and Coles had discontinued their home-brand range.
A Newcastle-based shopper shared their experience, saying they usually buy LA Ice, Que or home-brand no-sugar colas but these have been 'missing' from the shelf.
'I managed to find the final stock of generic cola after checking ALDI, but now that is gone as well,' they said.
It is understood that Coles is closely monitoring the situation and working with suppliers to minimise impacts on customers.
The CO2 shortage is not just affecting supermarkets. It's also impacting the entire domestic CO2 market in Australia, which is supplied by just two companies.
One of these, British multinational BOC, confirmed it was 'managing a CO2 supply situation'.
A company spokesperson stated: ‘Product has been imported to bridge the supply gap however, due to many current issues impacting international freight, supply has been impacted except for critical medical, safety and water treatment customers.’
The Australia New Zealand Industrial Gas Association (ANZIGA), the industry body representing industrial gas companies, warned of a 'fragile' supply chain back in July 2023.
This has led to suppliers prioritising CO2 to 'critical medical, safety, animal welfare and water customers'.
The shortage is largely due to unplanned outages at several production facilities in the CO2 supply chain.
‘CO2 is captured, purified, and liquefied from a limited number of natural sources or exhaust as a by-product of other processes. It is distributed by industrial gas companies as a cold liquid in specialised assets or as a compressed gas,’ ANZIGA’s July 2023 statement read.
'Unfortunately, these sources close intermittently, creating local… national, [or] even international shortages of products. These issues have been heightened by the closure or reduction of capacity of some sources,' it said.
The good news is that the beer supply will be unaffected, as major brewers capture CO2 produced during fermentation to carbonate their beverages.
An Asahi/Carlton United Breweries spokesperson confirmed they have 'adequate supply of CO2 to meet production requirements'.
Both Coles and Woolworths did not mention a timeline for supply issues to be resolved.
However, ANZIGA's statement indicated that additional processing facilities in Victoria may become operational in 2024, potentially mitigating the impact.
What do you think about this situation, members? Have you noticed the shortage in your local supermarket? Let us know in the comments below.
The culprit? A critical ingredient shortage is impacting the supply of a popular item—soft drinks.
The shortage is particularly affecting home-brand soda water and lemonade, with about 20 Woolworths-brand soft drinks also impacted.
This has left soft drink lovers across the country facing sparse options at the supermarket, and supermarkets themselves are hard-pressed to substitute affected ranges.
Supermarkets are grappling with a sparse supply of soft drinks. Image source: Shutterstock
A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed that shortages of carbon dioxide (CO2)—a critical ingredient in the production of soft drinks—had impacted the supply.
'We are working to manage these impacts, and a number of alternative products are available to customers while these shortages continue,' the spokesperson said.
The shortage has sparked confusion and dismay among consumers, with some taking to social media to express their frustration at not being able to find their go-to drink.
Some have even questioned whether Woolworths and Coles had discontinued their home-brand range.
A Newcastle-based shopper shared their experience, saying they usually buy LA Ice, Que or home-brand no-sugar colas but these have been 'missing' from the shelf.
'I managed to find the final stock of generic cola after checking ALDI, but now that is gone as well,' they said.
It is understood that Coles is closely monitoring the situation and working with suppliers to minimise impacts on customers.
The CO2 shortage is not just affecting supermarkets. It's also impacting the entire domestic CO2 market in Australia, which is supplied by just two companies.
One of these, British multinational BOC, confirmed it was 'managing a CO2 supply situation'.
A company spokesperson stated: ‘Product has been imported to bridge the supply gap however, due to many current issues impacting international freight, supply has been impacted except for critical medical, safety and water treatment customers.’
The Australia New Zealand Industrial Gas Association (ANZIGA), the industry body representing industrial gas companies, warned of a 'fragile' supply chain back in July 2023.
This has led to suppliers prioritising CO2 to 'critical medical, safety, animal welfare and water customers'.
The shortage is largely due to unplanned outages at several production facilities in the CO2 supply chain.
‘CO2 is captured, purified, and liquefied from a limited number of natural sources or exhaust as a by-product of other processes. It is distributed by industrial gas companies as a cold liquid in specialised assets or as a compressed gas,’ ANZIGA’s July 2023 statement read.
'Unfortunately, these sources close intermittently, creating local… national, [or] even international shortages of products. These issues have been heightened by the closure or reduction of capacity of some sources,' it said.
The good news is that the beer supply will be unaffected, as major brewers capture CO2 produced during fermentation to carbonate their beverages.
An Asahi/Carlton United Breweries spokesperson confirmed they have 'adequate supply of CO2 to meet production requirements'.
Both Coles and Woolworths did not mention a timeline for supply issues to be resolved.
However, ANZIGA's statement indicated that additional processing facilities in Victoria may become operational in 2024, potentially mitigating the impact.
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