McDonald's rations ingredient amid global food shortages: 'Utter rubbish'
McDonald's restaurants across the UK have been rationing the amount of tomatoes used in their burgers and salads amid food shortages in Europe.
Some McDonald's restaurants have been unable to buy the usual amount of tomatoes, forcing them to reduce the number of slices in their burgers.
Menu items affected by the nationwide tomato shortage include the Big Tasty and Big Tasty with Bacon, McPlant, The Spicy Veggie One, The BBQ Bacon & Chicken One, and salads.
Customers can expect to find "fewer" or "no" slices of tomato in impacted burgers and salads across the country.
A McDonald's UK spokesperson said that the fast food chain has had to reformulate its burgers with one slice of tomato instead of two in response to the shortage.
“We are currently experiencing a shortage in our supply of tomatoes. As a result, the Big Tasty and the Big Tasty with Bacon are being served with one slice of tomato rather than two,” said the spokesperson.
“We apologise for any inconvenience, and thank our customers for their patience. We are working hard to resolve this issue as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson added.
McDonald's customers question legitimacy of tomato shortage
McDonald’s customers have also noticed signs in their restaurants across the country warning them of a tomato shortage, but some aren't buying it.
“McDonald's have a sign up saying there's a tomato shortage. We bought a bag of loose vine tomatoes today from Waitrose. There were plenty on the shelves. It's a lie. Crises are manufactured,” wrote one suspicious customer on Twitter.
While some customers deemed the tomato shortage was “utter rubbish”, others attested they had noticed the crisis first-hand at supermarkets.
Prices have spiralled in the UK, with the cost of tomatoes jumping by nearly 60 per cent over the past year.
Soaring energy costs and supply chain issues causing shortages
It’s not just McDonald’s that is being affected by shortages; UK supermarkets have also been warned of a food crisis due to rising gas and energy prices, along with supply chain issues.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to affect the supply chain, as a large percentage of the UK's wheat and grain is sourced form the two countries.
Major supermarkets and food retailers are already limiting how much sunflower oil customers can buy, with more items likely to be affected in the coming months.
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