info@businessghana.com
The carbon dioxide shortage will start affecting some supplies to supermarkets this weekend, the Food and Drink Federation has warned.
CO2 is used to stun farm animals, put fizz in carbonated drinks and is used in packaging, but is in short supply.
Federation chief executive Ian Wright said carbon dioxide supplies were not expected to resume until next week.
He said that while stocks would not run out, "choice will be eroded".
Mr Wright told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We will see fewer chicken dishes, fewer pork and bacon dishes.
"We'll see probably less carbonated drinks and certainly bakery and other things that benefit from what's called modified atmosphere packaging, which is plastic packaging with a tray underneath and a dish of food in them."
Have you noticed a shortage of food and drink at your supermarket? Is there less choice of beer at your local pub? Please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories.
A number of companies have reported disruption to production because of the shortage.
Warburton's, the UK's biggest producer of crumpets, said it has been forced to halt production at two of its four plants.
The company uses carbon dioxide to give its crumpets a longer shelf life and prevent mould.
The British Retail Consortium said: "We are aware of specific pressures in some areas such as carbonated soft drinks, beer, British chicken and British pork but the majority of food products are unaffected and retailers do not anticipate food shortages. However, it is likely that the mix of products available may be affected."
The Food and Drink Federation's Mr Wright said that even if supplies of CO2 resumed next week, it would take some time before it made its way to food and drink producers.
"Inventories of products have been eroded quite a lot over the last week and not many people keep very large stocks of products because it is not cost-efficient," he explained.
Quality Pork Limited, which operates Scotland's biggest abattoir at Brechin, is closed and other meat producers are considering changes to use less CO2.
Andy McGowan, chief executive of the Scottish Pork Producers co-operative, said he had heard that supplies of CO2 could restart next week, and that Brechin might receive gas in the second half.
Abattoirs use CO2 as part of a pre-slaughter stunning process.
To avoid overcrowding, Quality Pork had sent 2,000 pigs to the meat processor Tulip in England, while 4,000 remained in Scotland.
About 6,000 pigs pass through Brechin every week.
Some food and drink firms have asked whether the government could help alleviate the problem.
Mr Wright said ministers could ask suppliers that have stopped production for maintenance to put factories back into production.
There are concerns about overcrowding as animals will not go to slaughter at their usual rate.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Department of Business have both said they are monitoring the situation.
They said: "We have been assured CO2 producers are working as fast as they can to get plants up and running again, with CO2 production set to start very shortly."
The trade journal Gasworld, which first revealed that CO2 was running short, said that the plant at Billingham, County Durham, is due to restart on Monday.
Richard Griffiths, chief executive at the British Poultry Council, said: "The most we have heard that it could be sometime next week, but we have had nothing concrete."
He said its members continue to live "day-to-day" as they tried to stretch out their dwindling supplies of the gas.
Gasworld said that two tankers of liquid CO2 from mainland Europe have been delivered to ports in the UK in recent days.
Several European plants are beginning to increase supplies, while another that had closed due to technical issues rather for than maintenance, is due to start operating again in mid-July.
Earlier in the week, the Wetherspoon and Ei Group pub chains reported they had temporarily run out, or were short of, brands including John Smith's, Strongbow, Amstel and Birra Moretti.
However, Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said brewers were "working their socks off around the clock to ensure there is still plenty of beer to go around".
