The UK has a shortage of CO2 in slaughter business

In the UK, an industry association has warned of a huge backlog in slaughter due to an acute shortage of carbon dioxide (CO2). The meat producer association BMPA emphasized that gas plays a central role in the production process and is irreplaceable. CO2 is required to seal packaging in a vacuum-tight manner. According to the BMPA, some slaughterhouses could run out of supplies in less than 14 days. "Then companies can no longer accept animals and have to close production lines," said the association. This leads to a backlog up on the farms. "This situation already exists with pork producers, where a culling is imminent on some farms." Beef or lamb can continue to be produced. Without vacuum packaging, however, the goods can be kept five days shorter. This adds another problem to retailers and consumers. Due to a large shortage of truck drivers due to the pandemic and Brexit, food shelves are already often empty. "This crisis underscores that the UK food supply chain is at the mercy of a small number of major fertilizer manufacturers in Northern Europe," said British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) head Nick Allen. "We rely on a by-product from their production process to keep the UK food chain going." CO2 is generated in fertilizer production. However, fertilizer manufacturers have recently been hit by rising energy and raw material prices. The manufacturer CF Industries even temporarily shut down two factories in Great Britain. If the chain starts to falter, the entire production is threatened, said Allen. "The result is that the CO2 stocks run out." He called on the government to intervene. They have to act on the British CO2 producers so that they coordinate better and disruptions are avoided.