UK summer barbecues threatened by shortage of carbon dioxide

Fresh meat and drinks supplies at risk as shortage of food quality CO2 across Europe is at risk. Photograph: Julian Hawkins/Rex Features

World Cup barbecues may be under threat as beers, fizzy drinks and meat producers warn of potential shortages caused by a lack of CO₂.

The British Retail Consortium has written to major retailers informing them that drinks and meat supplies could be affected as at least one UK gas supplier has had to ration orders.

The shortages come as many prepare to party while they follow England’s progress in the football World Cup in Russia. Sales of alcohol and soft drinks are also expected to be boosted after the World Cup by what is forecast to be a long hot summer running through until August.

It is understood that most drinks manufacturers hold at least two weeks stock, while retailers are likely to hold more. But retailers have expressed concerns that stocks could of fizzy drinks could run short in a few days during one of their busiest times of the year.

Tesco’s website already showed a number of its own-label fizzy drinks were out of stock on Tuesdayand its website warned of “a supply issue”. Morrisons said some Sprite and R Whites products were out of stock due to “limited supply”.

One industry source said Britvic, which also produces Pepsi and R Whites in the UK, and Heineken were already being affected. Another said one small brewer, thought to be Brewdog, had also been hit. Britvic said that all of its factories remained online while Heineken and Brewdog declined to comment.

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We are aware of a situation affecting the availability of CO₂ across Europe, which has now started to impact beer producers in the UK.

“We will continue to monitor the situation carefully. However, given the time of year and the World Cup, this situation has arisen at an unfortunate time for the brewing industry.”

ABInBev, the maker of Stella Artois, Budweiser and Corona, told the Grocer trade journal that it was less exposed to disruptions in supply of CO₂ because it kept its own stocks, recovering the gas from its brewing process.

“Currently our supply across both our breweries is good and we’re not anticipating any issue in the near future,” it told the Grocer.

The British Soft Drinks Association said: “Soft drinks producers in the UK are taking active steps to maintain their service to customers including working with their suppliers to mitigate the impact as well as looking at alternative sources.”

Retailers told the Guardian that there were also fears about fresh food supplies as CO₂ is used in packing fresh meat and salads, as well as in the slaughtering process for poultry and pigs.

“At the moment we are looking at ways to keep the supply chain moving and we have not heard that any of our members have stopped production,” said Fiona Steiger, deputy director of the British Meat Processors Association.

The shortages are understood to have been caused by a longer than usual break in production of ammonia, one of the key sources of food grade CO₂ in Europe.

Trade journal Gas World said the UK was hit particularly hard as only one major CO₂ plant was operating earlier this week and imports from the continent had been affected by shut-downs in Benelux and France. It said shortages were expected to continue throughout this month.

It said well known soft drinks brands were “desperate to obtain product”.