Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has created a critical bottleneck for carbon dioxide, a gas the UK food industry relies on to slaughter livestock and preserve packaged goods. The closure, triggered by US-Israeli attacks, has already spiked energy costs, but the secondary impact on industrial gases threatens to empty supermarket shelves of specific staples. It’s a banal detail of industrial chemistry that now threatens the British Sunday roast.
Carbon dioxide shortages threaten meat production
The food industry uses carbon dioxide as a primary tool for extending the shelf life of salads, packaged meats, and baked goods. Without it, the window for transporting these products shrinks. The vulnerability runs deeper than packaging. Producers use the gas in the slaughter of nearly all pigs and more than two-thirds of chickens in the UK.
Shoppers could face a “summer of shortages” if the blockade persists. While officials don’t expect a total collapse of food availability, they anticipate a reduced variety of products. Breweries and soft drink manufacturers also face risks, as the gas is essential for carbonation.
How the blockade disrupts supply chains
Fossil fuel prices don’t just affect the pump. They dictate the cost of fertilizer and the heating for greenhouses and chicken barns. A sharp hike in these costs ripples through the supply chain, potentially raising the price of items like peppers if the crisis lasts six weeks.
Transport blockages across the Middle East are creating shocks that the UK’s just-in-time logistics system isn’t built to absorb. Yvette Cooper, the UK foreign secretary, is hosting a meeting with 35 other countries this Thursday to discuss reopening the shipping route.
Under Exercise Turnstone officials are mapping risks
Cobra, the government’s emergency committee, has analyzed a “reasonable worst-case scenario” under a contingency plan codenamed Exercise Turnstone. This exercise assumes that by June 2026, the strait remains closed and no permanent peace deal exists.
The planning involves senior officials from No 10, the Treasury, and the Ministry of Defence. A senior government source told BBC Newsnight that these plans are a precautionary measure for a worst-case scenario rather than a prediction of the inevitable. The government’s focus remains on preventing these contingencies from becoming reality.
Which specific foods are at risk?
Potential shortages include chicken, pork, salads, packaged meats, baked goods, and fizzy drinks.
Is a total food shortage expected?
Officials do not expect critical food shortages overall, though they believe shoppers could see reduced product choice on shelves.
