Thieves have made off with a massive 12-tonne shipment of KitKat bars, threatening to cause a chocolate shortage just days before Easter.
Swiss food giant Nestle told AFP on Saturday that a truck carrying 413,793 units of its new chocolate range was stolen during transit in Europe last week. The shipment disappeared while moving between production and distribution sites.
“We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat,” a company spokesperson told AFP. “But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate.”
The truck left a factory in central Italy and was heading to Poland when it was intercepted. Both the vehicle and its contents are still missing, the company said.
Nestle confirmed it is working closely with local authorities and supply chain partners as investigations continue.
The chocolatier warned that the heist may lead to empty shelves, making it difficult for consumers to find their favourite chocolates ahead of the holiday. The company also raised concerns that the stolen bars could enter “unofficial sales channels” across European markets.
Officials said it is possible to trace the goods by scanning unique batch codes found on each bar. If a match is found, scanners will provide instructions on how to alert the company so evidence can be shared with the relevant authorities.