Sunflower oil is only available for a few weeks, according to the largest cooking oil bottler in the UK.
As per Edible Oils, Ukraine and Russia produce the majority of the world’s sunflower oil. Thus, the war is affecting exports.
The business packages oil for 75% of the UK retail market. It is increasing the availability of different oils for consumers.
Manufacturers of items containing sunflower oil, such as crisps, oven chips, and cereal bars, are changing their recipes meanwhile.
People with allergies should keep an eye out for supplementary information from stores and food manufacturers, according to the Food Standards Agency.
According to Kim Matthews, commercial director at Edible Oils, Russia and Ukraine supply % of the world’s sunflower oil.
“So obviously, with everything going on out there, we physically can’t get sunflower to be coming out of the country,” he said.
Sunflower Oil is the biggest oil
If you buy cooking oil in a supermarket, it likely came from the Edible Oils facility in Erith, in the suburbs of London. It bottles oil for private label products by companies and retailers.
“From a UK consumer perspective, sunflower oil is the biggest oil. It’s used more than anything else,” said Mr. Matthews.
“It’s a fast-moving situation. We’re still trying to see if we can get some more but it’s looking very tight.”
Edible Oils Ltd has increased production to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is to ensure that it has enough rapeseed and other oils to replace sunflower oil when it runs out.
“Sunflower is great because you can cook at high temperatures. Rapeseed is very similar. You can do exactly the same with it,” he said.
However, he stated that it was unclear when sunflower oil supplies will restore.
“At the moment, Ukrainian farmers should be sowing the seeds now for the harvest in October and November.
“Clearly that’s not going to happen… we’re probably going to miss the season so we could be impacted for 12-18 months.”
Plan B
Sunflower oil can also be discovered in many lots of items, like ready meals, biscuits, and mayonnaise.
Food producers are already scrambling to find substitute components.
The British Snack Company sells hand-cooked crisps in pubs in a small but popular variety. Sunflower oil is the second most important component after potatoes.
“The supply of sunflower oil is something that we’ve always taken for granted,” said founder Tom Lock.
He had to rapidly come up with a plan B following the invasion. It has already shifted to rapeseed oil, which is extremely comparable.
“There’s an incredible scramble. Everyone’s doing the same thing. So while sunflower oil is impossible to get at the moment, rapeseed oil is possible but difficult to get as well obviously because everyone’s having the same idea, as prices are skyrocketing at the moment.”
Shortfall
According to the National Edible Oil Distributors’ Association, rapeseed is useful significantly more in the food supply chain.
Farmers in the United Kingdom plant rapeseed, but there won’t be enough to go around.
“Prices for rapeseed oil have risen 50-70% since the attack,” said NEODA’s President Gary Lewis. “But there’s a limited supply to cover all this demand so some shortfall will be expected.”
Mr. Lock’s crisp firm had to overpay because he would have run out of crisps. They account for more than two-thirds of his sales.
He claims he will absorb as much of the costs as possible. But if the scenario persists, he will have to raise prices.
Labeling is one immediate burden he and other food manufacturers don’t have to deal with. They can change ingredients without having to print new packaging, which might take up to 12 weeks.
Food Inflation
Food Standards Agency’s chief executive, Emily Miles, said allergic responses to rapeseed oil are “very rare and if they do occur are mild”. Miles recommended that anyone with allergies keep an eye out for additional information.
Supermarket specialist Ged Futter says the food business is currently dealing with supply challenges that didn’t exist since World War II ended.
“Retailers and suppliers have to work much more closely than they ever have before and to be much more flexible in their approach to make sure the products are on the shelf,” he said.
“The immediate focus is sunflower oil and rapeseed oil, but there will be many more products which will be affected over the coming months. It’s some of the ingredients you don’t even think about, like starch, which comes from wheat.”
Thousands of items, he says, will need modifications.
Mr. Futter is the owner of a company that advises suppliers on how to engage with retailers. He claims that the war’s rippling effects are causing “scarily high” price increases. It adds up to the already rising costs on store shelves.
“I think the level of food inflation we are now going to be seeing will be in excess of 15%.”