Beetroot shortage: Burger lovers and salad kings desperate to find summer staple

An essential Aussie ingredient has gone missing from supermarket shelves, sparking a wild theory about who’s responsible.

Burgers with the lot are off the menu in households across Victoria as supermarkets struggle to keep tinned beetroot in stock.

The essential Aussie ingredient has been stripped from supermarkets shelves as shoppers are urged to swap the tinned version for fresh.

Beetroot shortage: Cans of sliced beetroot have vanished from supermarket shelves. Picture: Supplied

Beetroot lovers have flooded social media with complaints about how hard it was to find tins of the pickled vegetable.

One Victorian parent said the shortage was “driving them crazy” because beetroot was one of the only vegetables their son would eat.

“We bought the last few tins on the shelf the other day, I wouldn’t normally do that but he has to eat!,” they said.

Another beetroot lover from Melbourne said they had to scrap their dinner plans because the only pickled beetroot they could find either gourmet and too expensive or imported.

“Only one brand, a glass jar and cost $3.80. I just wanted it for home made burgers, I wasn’t going to pay that much,” they said.

“There was another brand, one I had never heard of and was from China, so I didn’t get it.”

A Coles spokesperson said “recent weather events” had affected the availability of canned beetroot across the industry.

“We know how much our customers enjoy this product and expect to see more stock on shelves over the coming months,” they said.

“The good news is that our supply of fresh beetroot has not been affected, with plenty available across our stores and online.”

Coles and Woolies encouraged shoppers to buy fresh beetroot. Picture: Supplied.

Woolworths was experiencing similar difficulties stocking the finger staining delicacy.

“Due to adverse growing conditions, customers may notice varying supply levels of canned beetroot available across our store network,” a spokesperson said.

The supermarket giant said it was in close contact with suppliers and working on contingency plans.

“We encourage customers to be flexible if the products they would usually purchase are not available.”

Tinned beetroot is missing from the shelves. Picture: Supplied.

However, not everyone was buying the weather excuse and some wild theories were being discussed online.

Many people suggested Maccas was responsible after the world’s largest fast food chain brought back its Aussie Angus featuring sliced beetroot for the summer.

Conspiracy theorists reckon the return of McDonalds’ Aussie Angus burger, which features beetroot, has impacted the vegetable shortage. Picture: Supplied.

Peak industry body AUSVEG said as a net importer of tinned or processed vegetable products Australia was “often at the mercy” of the international supply chain.

“Where any shortages of tinned or processed vegetable products are experienced, this situation highlights the need to ensure Australia has sufficient food manufacturing and processing capability to meet domestic need,” spokesman Andrew McDonald said.

He said one of the strengths of the nation’s domestic supply of fresh vegetables was the ability to produce most commodities year-round.

“That means any short-term reductions in supply from individual regions in Australia due to weather events or other factors are in many cases able to be filled by production from other regions.”

McDonalds has been contacted for comment.