American Restaurants Face Unexpected Ketchup Packet Shortage

Updated September 7, 2021

As you no doubt remember, the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic left many of us playing an anxious game of "what will the stores run out of this week?"

These frequent shortages were often caused by panic buying and saw the actions of a few shoppers leave the rest without toilet paper, diapers, or hand sanitizer.

However, some cases that saw demand outpace the supply chain didn't have panic or malice behind them, but rather marked an overall change in buying trends influenced by the pandemic. For instance, there was a period where many of those in quarantine had the idea to start making their own bread at roughly the same time. As you might expect, this made it difficult to find flour for a while in some places.

And the latest in a long line of shortages that America now faces seems to have more to do with similar trends than any particularly bizarre actions on anyone's part.

When 2020 reared its ugly head, it seemed that we never ran out of problems to deal with.

Reddit | NatTurner

And they were so clear and present that any potential after effects would pale in comparison.

As Denver restaurateur Chris Fuselier told CNN Business, "In hindsight, if you'd have asked me eighteen months ago would I have concerns about ketchup shortages, I would have said 'Are you crazy?'"

However, that is nonetheless a problem that he and many other restaurant owners throughout the country have been dealing with for months.

Reddit | dangerlawmc

According to CNN Business, this shortage of ketchup — specifically in small packages you get with to-go orders — began flaring up over the summer of 2020 as more people picked up food orders and had them delivered in accordance with CDC recommendations.

This led more restaurants to put in large orders for the packets than you'd normally expect from fast food places.

Reddit | Dirty_USB

As the BBC reported, this enduring trend has led to a 13% rise in prices for these little packages since January of 2020 and a struggle from ketchup makers to keep up with the demand.

In the words of Fuselier, who owns the Blake Street Tavern, "It's gotten so bad that when I go to McDonald's or Wendy's, I'll hoard those extra packets to bring back to Blake Street."

And while Heinz had already adjusted its production processes in the wake of the pandemic, they still found they weren't able to keep up with demand.

Reddit | flyoungiv

In recent days, the company has made a statement obtained by CNN Business announcing a 25% increase in production that translates to a total of 12 billion ketchup packets a year.

This will apparently be achieved through the company's recent expnasion of production lines within its factories.

Reddit | McCallumBakes

And while they're unlikely to look like this, the BBC also reported that Kraft Heinz has also developed a contactless dispenser for wherever dine-in services are possible.

h/t: CNN Business, BBC

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