Swiss food giant Nestle said on Saturday that a large shipment of KitKat chocolate — about 12 tons — was stolen last week.
The company said the truck, carrying 413,793 bars from its new chocolate range, left a production facility in central Italy bound for Poland before disappearing. Nestle did not disclose the exact location where the vehicle went missing. As of Saturday afternoon, the truck and its cargo remained unlocated.
Nestle says they can track KitKat sales
“We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat,” a brand spokesperson said, echoing the product’s slogan. “But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate.”
The firm warned the theft could cause shortages of the wafer-covered bars on supermarket shelves in some European countries. It also cautioned that the missing bars “could enter unofficial sales channels.” Nestle said the stolen goods could be traced by scanning the unique batch codes on each bar. “If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat who will then share the evidence appropriately,” the company said.
Cargo theft a growing challenge
Nestle also highlighted the wider problem of cargo theft. “Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes,” KitKat said. “With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend.”
Edited by: Darko Janjevic