Supplies of carbon dioxide used in the of packaging of fresh food including fish could come under pressure in the UK following the decision of leading supplier CF Industries to temporarily halt production at its last remaining plant in the country, Bloomberg reported.
The plant in Billingham, northeast England provides the gas used to extend the shelf life of products and for dry ice that keeps products frozen as they are being transported.
Everything from fish fillets to bagged lettuce and cheddar cheese could be affected at a moment when the United Kingdom is suffering from soaring food price inflation.
CF Industries temporarily shut down both its UK plants in September last year, causing chaos in the UK food supply chain as consumers looked for alternative sources of supply.
But a deal with the UK government to provide aid saw the company reopen its the Billingham site, although it closed two smaller fertilizer plants for good.
While the UK market has worked to diversify supply sources, seeing improvements in imports, the UK government has been looking at ways to bolster supply, the report said.
