Nestlé reports 12 tonnes of KitKat stolen in Europe

A huge shipment of 12 tonnes of KitKat – over 400,000 chocolate bars – was stolen last week in Europe while being transported by truck between production and distribution facilities.

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The Swiss food giant Nestlé reported that 12 tonnes of KitKat chocolate bars were stolen in Europe, warning that this could lead to shortages in stores just before Easter.

“A truck carrying 413,793 units of our new chocolate range was stolen during its transit in Europe,” KitKat, a Nestlé brand, said in a statement to AFP. The load, weighing approximately 12 tonnes, disappeared last week while travelling between production and distribution sites, the company said.

With one week to go until Easter, the brand warned that “this theft could lead to a shortage of KitKat on shelves”.

Before being stolen, the truck had left central Italy and was heading towards Poland, with the intention of distributing the bars in the countries it passed through.

KitKat did not specify exactly where the goods had disappeared but said that “the vehicle and its contents remain untraceable”. “Investigations are continuing in close collaboration with local authorities and supply chain partners,” it said.

It warned that the missing chocolate bars “could enter unofficial sales channels on European markets”. The brand said it was possible to trace the stolen products by scanning the barcodes on each bar.

“In the event of a match, the scanner will receive clear instructions on how to alert KitKat, which will then pass on this evidence appropriately,” it said.

Adapted from French by AI/sb