Subway follows KFC on menu change amid Australian lettuce shortage

Australia’s lettuce shortage is taking a bite out of Subway’s ability to deliver items on the menu.

Shortly after fried chicken giant KFC revealed it would use a “temporary mix of lettuce and cabbage” to solve supply chain problems, the sandwich maker announced it was following suit.

Subway follows KFC on menu change amid Australian lettuce shortage

Since a head of lettuce costs more than $10 in some Australian locations, the company warned it was struggling to meet demand.

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“Being a fresh produce company means going with the ups and downs of fresh produce,” Subway wrote on its website.

“We are currently facing a shortage of lettuce from our local farmers.

“So in the short term, we will be mixing lettuce with cabbage… while more lettuce is on the way.”

Subway has been asked for comment on the direct impact of the lettuce shortages on stores in Western Australia.

Camera icon Since a head of lettuce costs $10 in some Australian locations; the sandwich maker warned that it was struggling to keep up with demand. Credit: Ted S. Warren/AP

It comes after news from KFC that a lettuce shortage caused by recent floods in Queensland and NSW has prompted the switch to a cabbage-lettuce mix – which could affect burgers like the popular Zinger.

“We have hit an iceberg and are currently experiencing disruptions in the lettuce supply chain due to the recent floods in Queensland and NSW,” the company said in a statement to customers.

“This means that during these shortages, you can see a temporary mix of lettuce and cabbage in all KFC restaurants in NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, and TAS.

“If that’s not your bag, click ‘modify’ on your chosen product and remove lettuce from the recipe.

“We are working with multiple suppliers to provide support, but we expect the disruptions to continue in the coming days.”

West Aussie customers are not affected.

Meanwhile, experts say that labor shortages, the cost of raw materials, war, and the rising cost of fuel and utilities are some factors influencing the price of groceries.

At the Global Food Forum, Coles chief executive Steven Cain said Australia was experiencing a labor crisis in many sectors.

“It’s exacerbated by what’s going on with COVID and the flu. Our absenteeism is twice as normal today with COVID and the flu, and turnover is increasing in most industries,” he said.

Mr. Cain said grocery suppliers were also pushing for further price hikes.

“We received five times as many requests for price increases as last year. Five times,” he says.

Camera IconKFC is struggling with a shortage of lettuce. Credit: Included

Elsewhere, a major business group fears the economy could spiral into a ‘death spiral’ of rising wage growth, inflation, and interest rates after the Reserve Bank of Australia’s largest rate hike in more than 20 years.

By raising the spot rate by 50 basis points to 0.85 percent after Tuesday’s monthly board meeting, RBA Governor Philip Lowe said inflation needed to be brought under control.

The spike comes on top of the 25 basis points increase in May, the first increase in over a decade.

Ai Group CEO Innes Willox fears the worst: “We are now at risk of a death spiral of wages, inflation, and interest rates.”

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Andrew McKellar said the RBA’s decision was understandable given inflationary pressures in the economy.

Consumer confidence was dented in the past week amid mounting pressure on the cost of living and expectations of further interest rate hikes.

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index – an indicator of future household spending – fell 4.1 percent to 87, the lowest level since mid-August 2020, during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumer inflation expectations rose 0.2 percentage points to 5.7 percent, the highest result since early April.

with MONKEY

Lori J. Kile
I love to write and create. I love photography, design, travel and art. I am a full time freelance writer and photographer.I am very excited to be creating new content and opportunities for my readers.