Some Like It Hot...well, not all

It seems to have been quite a tumultuous year in foodie arena, with many food items under threat. Just this Halloween, fans of the global cult favourite Sriracha hot sauce (affectionately known as Rooster Sauce to some) breathed a sigh of relief when a judge denied a temporary restraining order against the manufacturing company, Huy Fong Foods. The plaintiffs? Residents of Irwindale, California; where Huy Fong’s new processing plant is located. Lame food pun notwithstanding, the city’s main beef with Huy Fong was that the spicy scent of ground peppers due to the company’s chilli-processing season from Sept to Dec is a public nuisance in violation of the municipal code. Some nearby residents had complained of burning eyes and throats, and had sued in order to shut down production which would have seen the price of Sriracha sauce escalate due to massive demand outstripping supply. The company aren’t yet in the clear, the judge has set Nov 22 for a further hearing. By then however, chilli processing will have been complete which means this year’s sauce production is safe. Although the plant’s long-term future is unclear. Sriracha wasn’t the only thing under shortage threat this year. Below we take a look at some of the food items which came under the microscope this year due to potential shortage .and we also look at one cult foodie treat which was brought back from the dead, shall we say.

CHOCOLATE Doubtless a good few of you will have seen some panicked/sentimental Facebook sharing of reports citing how cocoa butter is becoming scarcer by the day, largely due to dwindling production in Ghana and the Ivory Coast caused by poor weather, plus the fact cocoa trees take up to 4 years before producing cocoa beans so some farmers have thrown in the towel as the wait is “too long.” Some reports even cite predictions that the world’s supply of cocoa will run out in about seven years, which would mean that in order to keep our supermarket shelves stocked with grab-and-go treats, manufacturers would have to start falling back on vegetable fat substitutions (palm oil), bulking bars out with more nut and fruit etc. More bubbles in the “Aero chocolate, now with more bubbles and less chocolate. A few years ago, at least you knew all of the solid stuff you were getting in your bar was actual chocolate.

WINE Poor weather has also affected vineyard harvests (ergo wine production) in Europe over the last few years, and the increase in wine consumption in China and the US seems to have put pressure on supply. The world went into a bit of a panic when Morgan Stanley published a report saying that its research had deduced a worldwide shortfall of up to 300 million cases in 2012. Thankfully 2013’s harvest was predicted to be a strong one, and subsequent harvests have also been predicted to be on the up which is welcome news, after years of mediocrity and cruddy weather for farmers. OLIVES The popular bar snack also fell victim to poor weather in both Spain and Greece (specifically Halkidiki olives), with olive distributors around the world citing that suppliers were highly likely to hike prices up by at least half.

GOAT’S CHEESE Way back in 2009/2010, the Netherlands, one of the biggest producers of goat’s cheese had to cull thousands of pregnant ewes to curb the spread of Q disease which could spread to humans. The effects of this cull can still be felt now, with cheese production having dwindled both there and in France; demand, however, has steadily increased since then as goat’s cheese has become more fashionable amongst consumers and the catering trade. Experts predict that this Christmas which is traditionally when cheese sales have been known to skyrocket, some people are just going to have to do without.

And one item that came back from the dead. TWINKIES Yes, we know it’s not quite a real cake/food item amongst purists. It’s only fair that they do get a mention for the bizarreness that happened when they became scarce, $5 boxes of the stuff were hoarded when production ceased due to makers Hostess Foods going bankrupt. One week before they returned to store shelves being produced under new ownership, an eBay user was trying to auction off some expired Twinkies as rare collectibles for the price of $15,000, “one that can be passed down the family and will only gain in value.”