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Marmite jars (Photo: Getty Images / Gallo Images)
- South Africa is experiencing a shortage of Marmite, which is a by-product of brewing.
- The ban on the sale of alcohol meant that brewer’s yeast was in short supply.
- Marmite will only be back on the shelves in two weeks, a spokesperson said.
- For more articles, go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
Marmite’s supplies have been depleted in South Africa, a hangover from alcohol prohibition during the early phases of the shutdown.
The popular pasta is made from concentrated yeast extract, a by-product of brewing.
Many stores have been sold out across the country, and a spokesperson for PepsiCo, which owns the Marmite brand in South Africa, told Business Insider SA on Monday that stocks will only be back on shelves, nationwide, in about two weeks.
“The last five months have been tough at our Marmite factory because we were unable to get any supplies of spent yeast, a key ingredient, during the closure period,” says Mandy Murphy, executive food manufacturing at PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa. ” it is because two of our key yeast suppliers in South Africa, AB-Inbev and Heineken Breweries, were not allowed to operate. “
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“Since yeast is a live product, we cannot store it and therefore the production unit had to stop working during that period,” adds Murphy.
The alcohol ban was lifted (for the second time) in mid-August, but it took a while for the breweries to start operating at full capacity again. Production of the 125g Marmite jars restarted in mid-September and the larger 250g jars were added in the first week of October.
But production is not yet at full capacity and it will still be some time before stocks hit stores.
READ | Bread in South Africa can now stay cooler for 2 to 3 more days after the government approves a new ingredient
Marmite fans have expressed their frustration on social media:
apparently there is a shortage of kettle in south africa and now i want to set something on fire
-? Kara? (@Dashingwhitesgt) October 12, 2020
Is it just my local Pick n Pay that is out of stock or is there a #Pot shortage in South Africa? #Bovril It really isn’t hitting the spot for me.
– I WILL KILL YOUR BELOVED ??? ?? (@nerinedorman) June 24, 2020
The UK experienced a similar Marmite shortage earlier this year as pub closures during their shutdown affected beer production volumes.
Marmite was invented in 1902 by the German scientist Justus Liebig, who realized that brewer’s yeast could be concentrated to create a meaty food flavoring.
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