A number of large Australian fast food chains have been forced to make changes to their menus amid a nationwide lettuce supply crisis.
The nationwide shortage and consequent rise in the price of lettuce has temporarily changed the way companies fill their burgers, wraps and sandwiches.
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Subway outlets have announced that they will now mix their lettuce with cabbage in a mixture of leaves to cover the deficit.
KFC announced the same change on Tuesday, offering customers the option to “customize” their items and remove the mix altogether.
On Wednesday, a Hungry Jack spokesman told 7NEWS.com.au that restaurants in its eastern states had also been “affected by the shortage of fresh produce.”
However, outlets will not offer the cabbage mix, such as Subway and KFC, but will “serve lettuce in small quantities while shortages are maintained and continue to work with suppliers to maintain supply.”
“This shortage is expected to continue through June and July,” Hungry Jack’s said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a McDonald’s spokesman told 7NEWS.com.au that he was trying to get ahead.
“We are working closely with our suppliers to continue to offer our full menu to customers,” they said.
The national shortage is largely due to recent floods in New South Wales and Queensland.
Lettuce shortages across the country are temporarily changing the way Subway fills their submarines. Credit: Newscast / Universal Images Group via Getty
“Being a fresh food company means suffering the ups and downs of fresh produce,” said a statement on the Subway website.
“We are currently facing a shortage of lettuce from our local lettuce growers.
“So in the short term, we’ll mix lettuce with cabbage … while there’s more lettuce on the way.”
Supply chain shortages, staff shortages, border closures, petrol prices and other pandemic-related logistics have contributed to consumer inflation taking over the Australian economy.
Hungry Jacks restaurants in the eastern states will serve limited amounts of coveted green leaf. Credit: NurPhoto / NurPhoto via Getty Images
The poor outlook for world food production, in addition to the Russian war on Ukraine and trade restrictions, is also driving up commodity prices.
World food prices are now at their highest level in a decade and are not expected to decline during 2022 or much of 2023.
ABS figures released earlier this year showed that food prices rose 4.3% during the year to March.
Consumer inflation expectations also rose 0.2 percentage points to 5.7%, the highest result since early April.
Subway posted its disclaimer on the menu change on its website after a nationwide shortage of lettuce. Credit: Metro
Supermarket costs have peaked in 11 years, with iceberg lettuce being sold in supermarkets for up to $ 7.98 per head.
There have even been images of supermarket shoppers cutting the outer leaves of lettuce to line shopping bags and avoid paying exorbitant prices.
Foodbank NSW and ACT CEO John Robertson told Sunrise on Tuesday that they were seeing “massive increases in food demand” across the country.
“We’re about 50 percent above where we were before COVID … before COVID we were delivering about six million meals a month.”
The shortage affecting Australia forces KFC to make a subtle change to the menu
While Subway has joined KFC in its decision to greatly reduce lettuce, this is not the first time KFC has had to make major changes to the menu.
The shortage of chicken in January forced the chain to cut back on menu items, including its original chicken burgers, ginger, steaks and wings.
This was largely due to problems with suppliers: the shortage coincided with the lifting of COVID restrictions and the need to isolate large volumes of staff.
-With AAP