This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies described in our Cookies Policy.
You may change your settings at any time but this may impact on the functionality of the site.
To learn more see our Cookies Policy.
RESTAURANTS IN JAPAN are facing a crippling shortage of chips – so much so that one large chain is planning a giant chip airlift from the US.
McDonald’s and other fast food outlets and “family restaurants” are popular in Japan - serving Western style meals with a Japanese twist. However they depend on imports for their french-fry supplies, Kyodo News reported.
But a dockworkers’ dispute on the US West Coast has caused a months-long slowdown, creating a chip backlog and crimping imports to Japan.
The Japanese arm of McDonald’s has been having problems since mid-November, Kyodo said, while Royal Holdings, which runs several family restaurant chains, said it has a few months’ worth of chips in stock, but was keeping a close eye on things.
Advertisement
The operator of the Gusto chain said it planned to fly in around 200 tonnes of chips to avoid running short, the agency reported.
News of the chip woes came with Japan already in the throes of a butter shortage that is threatening to ruin Christmas for millions of cake-baking Japanese housewives.
Supermarket shelves have been empty for weeks, with any new stock disappearing almost as fast as it arrives, despite store-imposed limits of one pack per customer.
The ministry earlier said a sweltering summer had left the nation’s cows exhausted, and sapped their milk-producing ability.
Wednesday 27 November, 2024
Wednesday 27 November, 2024
Download our app
Japan is literally running out of chips, and planning emergency supplies by airlift
RESTAURANTS IN JAPAN are facing a crippling shortage of chips – so much so that one large chain is planning a giant chip airlift from the US.
McDonald’s and other fast food outlets and “family restaurants” are popular in Japan - serving Western style meals with a Japanese twist. However they depend on imports for their french-fry supplies, Kyodo News reported.
But a dockworkers’ dispute on the US West Coast has caused a months-long slowdown, creating a chip backlog and crimping imports to Japan.
The Japanese arm of McDonald’s has been having problems since mid-November, Kyodo said, while Royal Holdings, which runs several family restaurant chains, said it has a few months’ worth of chips in stock, but was keeping a close eye on things.
The operator of the Gusto chain said it planned to fly in around 200 tonnes of chips to avoid running short, the agency reported.
News of the chip woes came with Japan already in the throes of a butter shortage that is threatening to ruin Christmas for millions of cake-baking Japanese housewives.
Supermarket shelves have been empty for weeks, with any new stock disappearing almost as fast as it arrives, despite store-imposed limits of one pack per customer.
The ministry earlier said a sweltering summer had left the nation’s cows exhausted, and sapped their milk-producing ability.
- © AFP, 2014
More: Festival fined for ‘distressing’ texts pretending to be people’s mums>
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Chips chips ahoy daddy or chips? french fries fries Japan McDonald's