Nestle says a lorry carrying a huge load of KitKat bars was stolen in Europe and this could cause shortages in shops before Easter.
The company said the truck was transporting 413,793 bars from its new chocolate range. Altogether, the missing shipment weighed about 12 tonnes. Nestle said the lorry disappeared last week while travelling between production and distribution sites.
The journey had started in central Italy and was meant to end in Poland. The bars were also due to be distributed in countries along the route. The company did not say exactly where the truck went missing. It said the vehicle and all the chocolate inside are still unaccounted for.
A spokesperson for KitKat joked that the thieves had taken the brand’s famous “have a break” message too literally. Even so, the company warned that some shoppers may struggle to find KitKats on shelves before Easter.
Nestle is now working closely with local authorities and supply chain partners to investigate the theft. It also warned that the stolen chocolate could appear in unofficial sales channels across Europe. The company said each bar can be traced using a unique batch code, which could help identify the missing products if they are found.
