(UPDATED as of Aug. 17, 2022) If you've been revenge dining this 2022, you probably noticed that some of your favorite food items from restaurants are unavailable or are served in smaller sizes.
It's not a figment of your imagination. Many food items are short in supply due to a global supply and shipping crisis.
The Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc had warned of a "looming food crisis" due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war which would most likely be felt by the end of the year or the holiday season.
So far, here are food items and restaurant favorites that have been in short supply:
Burger King Onions
Burger King Philippines advised customers on Aug. 17 that it was out of onions, the latest commodity to come under supply issues after sugar and wheat.
The American chain operated locally by the Jollibee Group said it was offering customers the choice of crispy onions, extra lettuce, or extra tomatoes in place of fresh sliced onions. Earlier this year, it stopped selling onion rings also due to supply issues.
Sugar
The makers of Coke, Pepsi, and RC Cola products on Aug. 16 said they were addressing a shortage in premium refined sugar, a key ingredient for softdrinks.
The admission from the beverage makers came as President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. stood by his decision to reject the importation of 300,000 tons of sugar, saying there was enough supply.
EXPLAINERS:
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Racks Beef Ribs
Racks advised customers on June 13 of a shortage of its fall-off-the-bone beef ribs, citing the global shipping crisis.
"The global freight crisis has affected Racks' supply of its Best Ribs in Town which is why in the next days, you will be experiencing a shortage of our Beef Ribs," it said in an advisory on its Facebook page.
"Fret not, we are doing our best to keep up with the times," it added.
Sriracha
A severe shortage of chillies in the world has forced Huy Fong Foods to suspend production of its sriracha, sambal oelek and chili garlic sauces, the condiments maker said in a notice to customers in the first week of June.
California-based Huy Fong, which makes the sriracha sauce in the familiar fat bottle with a green nozzle and a rooster logo, said weather conditions hit the quality of chilies, causing the shortfall.
Randy's Donuts
In May, Randy's Donuts, which only opened in the same month, temporarily closed its only branch in Taguig, citing shortage in supply of their key ingredient—flour.
Randy's Donuts has been selling over 5,000 pieces of the circular fried dough a day since its soft-opening last May 10.
Mary Grace Ensaymada
Mary Grace Café in May too said the absence of its ensaymada, a classic favorite among its customers, was due to "some global supply issues on a few raw materials".
French fries and other potato products
French fries and other potato products such as mashed potatoes have been unavailable or served in smaller portions at several fast-food chains and restaurants for months already.
McDonald's Philippines first announced a shortage of french fries in April, limiting orders to regular sizes.
In June, McDonald's Philippines said its largest size for french fries, BFF, would return as a delivery exclusive, citing the global freight crisis that has disrupted supply chains. Medium and large fries remain temporarily unavailable via delivery. Regular fries can still be bought via dine-in, takeout, drive-thru and delivery, it added.