Swiss food giant Nestle said on Sunday that 12 tonnes of KitKat chocolate bars were stolen in Europe after a truck carrying the consignment went missing en route from Italy to Poland.
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“We can confirm that 12T of KitKat products were stolen while in transit between our factory in Central Italy and their destination in Poland,” KitKat said in a statement on X. The vehicle and its cargo remain unaccounted for, with the company not disclosing where the consignment was lost.
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How much was stolen
Nestle said the truck carrying 413,793 bars of its new range KitKat set off from central Italy to distribute the chocolate throughout Europe, but never reached its scheduled final destination in Poland.
While Nestle has not disclosed the wholesale value of the shipment, estimates suggest the scale of the loss runs into crores.
Around 400,000 KitKat bars could be worth about $750,000 (approximately ₹7.05 crore – at ₹94/$), according to CBS Los Angeles.
Based on typical retail pricing for smaller bars in Europe – between €1 and €1.50 – the shipment’s retail value could range from €414,000 to €621,000 (roughly ₹4.47 crore to ₹6.71 crore – at ₹108/€).
Wholesale values are typically lower, estimated at about €200,000 to €400,000 (around ₹2.17 crore to ₹4.34 crore), depending on distribution pricing.
The stolen consignment, weighing about 12,000 kg, suggests an average of roughly 29 grams per bar, indicating smaller-sized units.
Tracking the missing shipment
The company said the missing bars can be identified using batch codes embedded in the products. “Anyone scanning the batch numbers of the stolen chocolate would receive instructions on how to contact KitKat,” the company said, adding, “If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat, who will then share the evidence appropriately.”
