BRITAIN could run out of beer as soon as next week because the European supply of carbon dioxide is at an all time low. The drought comes when spending on booze has increased as football fans stock up during the World Cup. 2 Britain's beer taps could run dry as soon as next week due to a CO2 shortage Credit: Getty - Contributor Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the gas that's used to pump into beer to carbonate it in pints like Carlsberg and Heineken. Even though Real-ales like Guinness use natural CO2 supplies during the brewing process, they still use the gas in packaging and pouring. It's also used to give soft drinks bubbles which means fizzy pop like Coke and Fanta are at risk of running dry too. Beavertown Brewer Sam Millard told the I that supplies could run out as early as next week and compared getting hold of supplies to rationing during the war. 2 Europe's CO2 shortage is threatening the beer industry during the World Cup Credit: Getty - Contributor We put six beers from countries in the World Cup to the test, to find out what bevy gives the biggest kick He said: "[The CO2 shortage] has hit at absolutely the wrong time of year – the height of summer and the World Cup is when people want to be down the pub, drinking beer, or they want to get cans to take home. "We can modify our processes for this week which will see us through… but if it goes on any longer than that then we’ll just have to halt packaging." The shortage will affect both big and independent brewers, as well as pubs and supermarkets. Heineken has warned of plummeting stock of Amstel and John Smith's brands. While Wetherspoon's has warned that anything on draft will be affected as well as some canned and fizzy drinks. The gas shortage could also cause a lack of supply of fresh chicken, as it is used in the slaughtering and packaging process. C02 is a byproduct of ammonia production, but supplies began drying up two months ago due to planned shutdowns at some of the ammonia plants. What is the CO2 shortage? BEER and fizzy drinks are at risk of running dry as soon as next week because of a European shortage of CO2. The gas is used to pump into the liquids to make it carbonated - or give it bubbles. But the meat chain could also be affected by the shortage because the same gas is used in slaughter houses to kill the animals. CO2 is produced when ammonia is made. Supplies began drying up two months ago when a few plants shut down for planned maintenence. But there have also been some unexpected closures too thanks to technical issues. This has meant that not as much of the gas is being produced and sold on to food and drink manufacturers But it turned "critical" when technical issues forced other plants to close, threatening to leave beer taps empty, according to Gasworld. The shortage could also have an effect on the meat industry as it's often used by slaughterhouses to stun and kill animals. Brigid Simmonds, boss of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "We are aware of a situation affecting the availability of CO2 across Europe, which has now started to impact beer producers in the UK. "We have recommended our members continue to liaise with their providers directly where they have concerns over supply." Australian fans make epic standing beer snake after opening World Cup game MOST READ IN MONEY SHOP FAST Tesco launches rapid delivery service to ferry groceries to customers within 1hr BENEFIT BLOW Brits miss out on £15billion of benefits - how to claim back money owed SUN SAVERS Avoid splashing out this summer with our favourite sunny savings BIG BUSINESS Who owns Marks and Spencer? CRYPTO CASH What are Bitcoin Rejoin and Bitcoin SuperSplit and are they a scam? HOLIDAY BLUES Holidaymakers risk losing thousands jetting off to amber list countries Meanwhile there's a double blow for England fans hoping to enjoy a pint during the World Cup - as Russia faces a beer shortage too. Moscow is being drunk dry by footie fans with supplies taking longer to be delivered due to the football and sunny weather. Tom Stainer from The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said: "We would encourage anyone who's looking forward to their next pint to take this opportunity try a real ale or a thirst-quenching cider or perry instead." Gavin Partington, Director General at British Soft Drinks Association, said: "Soft drinks producers in the UK are taking active steps to maintain their service to customers including working with their suppliers to mitigate the impact as well as looking at alternative sources." Pubs and cafes are hoping to rake in at least £128MILLION during the World Cup tournament as fans flock to their locals. But watching the games from home and buying your booze from the supermarket will be far cheaper. We've tested beers from Belgium, Spain, England, Brazil, Germany and France to find out what export scores the most when it comes to taste, price and alcohol content. Find out the results here. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 78 24516. Don't forget to join the Sun Money's Facebook group for the latest bargains and money-saving advice.<doc-sep>Food and drink companies are having to put plans in place to minimise disruption to customers who want to drink beer and have barbecues this summer. Dwindling stocks of CO2 couldn't come at a worse time, as the UK basks in hot, sunny weather and the nation tunes in to the World Cup, wanting to celebrate England's success with a beer or two. What has caused the shortage? The low supplies are due to a longer than usual break in production of ammonia, one of the key sources of Europe's food grade CO2 - which is used to carbonate drinks and preserve some packed fresh foods. Trade journal Gasworld says the shortage has been described as the "worst supply situation to hit the European carbon dioxide business in decades". Advertisement There are five major sources of CO2 within the UK in which the main gas companies have liquid CO2 production facilities. Over the past month it has only been the two plants near Manchester that have been operational, but Gasworld says two in Teesside are due to reopen this week. What is affected? Image: There is a shortage of some draughts at pub chains including Wetherspoon and Punch Taverns 1. Beer and soft drinks Food and drink companies are trying to minimise disruption to customers, especially at a time of record hot temperatures and World Cup mania. Some Wetherspoon pubs are temporarily without draught John Smith's and Strongbow cider, while Punch Taverns, which has about 1,300 pubs, says it has also experienced a shortage of John Smith's, along with Amstel and Birra Moretti. Some pub landlords say they have not encountered shortages like this in decades of trading. However, not all pub suppliers are affected so the severity of the problem varies even down to a very local level. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) says that while stocks of the gas remain low, brewers are "working their socks" off to ensure the beer continues to flow. BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: "The UK can produce as much as 10 million pints of beer per day, and with signs of things improving, pubs will certainly not be running dry. "Our message to beer drinkers and England fans is clear: keep calm and carry on going to the pub. If your usual beer of choice isn't available, then why not use it as an opportunity to try something new?" Coca Cola has paused some production lines but says its supply has not been disrupted and it can continue to fulfil customer orders. Image: Pig farms and abbatoirs use CO2 to stun animals before they are slaughtered 2. Farming Poultry slaughterhouses have already called for priority supplies of dwindling CO2 stocks, saying the current shortage could have a "potentially huge effect" on British food production. Scotland's largest pig processing plant, Quality Pork Limited, in Angus, suspended its slaughtering process due to a lack of the gas, which is used to stun animals before they are killed. British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) chief executive Nick Allen has said the situation is getting "pretty tight", exacerbated by the hot temperatures. Image: The shortage has led to disruption to some frozen product lines at Morrisons 3. Packaging Carbon dioxide is widely used in "modified atmosphere packaging". It is part of a gas mixture which is used to remove oxygen from food packaging to prolong the shelf life and keep food looking fresh. Morrisons and Ocado have told customers that the shortage had led to disruption to some frozen product lines. A spokeswoman for the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said CO2 supply issues remain and that retailers and suppliers are working hard to ensure food availability is maintained. "We are aware of specific pressures in some areas such as carbonated soft drinks, beer, British chicken and British pork but the majority of food products are unaffected and retailers do not anticipate food shortages," the BRC said. "However, it is likely that the mix of products available may be affected." Image: Dry ice has many uses, including in gastronomy 4. Dry ice The Glasgow Science Centre (GSC) visitor attraction has said it was unable to get the dry ice it needed for its new show, due to the CO2 supply issues. Dry ice is also used to keep food chilled when it is in transit and some supermarkets, including Ocado, have rationed frozen food sales. Frozen food specialist Iceland said it was not affected by the shortage because it uses refrigerated vehicles instead of dry ice. Dry ice is also popular among singers who want to make an entrance when coming on stage during concerts. It is not known if the music industry will be affected. Image: Will our supermarket shelves be empty? Will we run out of food and drink? It is unlikely. Most shortages so far have been short-term. Gasworld chief executive John Raquet believes there is "light very much at the end of the tunnel" and that abattoirs, bottling plants and breweries should see an improvement in supply early next week. "Clearly, there will be a backlog of processing to catch up with and that will take some time - especially within the all important abattoirs - but they should see product deliveries next week," he said.<doc-sep>If you're in the pub and your pint is being poured just by flicking a switch on a tap then it will be coming from a pressurised keg and will be propelled to your glass either by CO2 or by a mix of CO2 and nitrogen.<doc-sep>Britain's pubs risk running short of beer just as England take on Belgium in one of the biggest nights out of the year. Millions of fans wanting to watch the World Cup group decider in the pub may find themselves unable to order their favourite brew. The beer crisis has been caused by a shortage of carbon dioxide and fuelled by a heatwave and huge crowds watching England’s unexpected good form in the World Cup. The fervour in England prompted the manager Gareth Southgate and midfielder Eric Dier to appeal for more supporters to travel to Russia to cheer the team on. So far just 2,000 fans have seen the first two England games with only as many as 3,000 expected for the Belgium match, put off by security fears in Russia. In a show of support, Theresa May said the Cross of St George will fly over 10 Downing Street for each of England's remaining World Cup matches. The Prime Minister also told MPs she will be encouraging other Whitehall departments to do the same while the Scottish Secretary David Mundell even agreed to fly the English flag on the Scotland Office building in London.<doc-sep>
A shortage of carbon dioxide has hit Britain's biggest brewers and soft drink makers, disrupting production just as drinkers' thirst peaks due to a heatwave and a World Cup soccer tournament in which England is doing unusually well. Hot weather and a build-up of beer stocks ahead of the World Cup lifted CO2 demand from brewers just as the gas was in short supply due to production shutdowns at chemical factories that produce it as a by-product. The CO2 shortage is also affecting producers of meat and frozen foods, which could put a chill on summer barbecues. CO2, well-known as a greenhouse gas, is also used to stun animals before slaughter, to increase the shelf-life of foods and to make dry ice, which keeps frozen food cold in transit — so it's not just the brewers who are feeling the pinch. So what happened? While there's plenty of hops and barley going around, it's a shortage of carbon dioxide — a gas that is needed to make beer bubbly — that is causing the squeeze. CO2 is produced as a by-product of making ammonia used in fertiliser production, which typically peaks in winter to build stocks for spring farming — so plant maintenance-related shutdowns are common in summer. What's different this year, according to the British Poultry Council, is lower-than-average production of ammonia, and also therefore CO2, due to lower ammonia prices. A string of problems across the sector in Europe have also caused fertiliser makers to shut down more plants than usual, and factories in Britain have suffered additional mechanical problems that further reduced supply. In Britain, the Government prioritises carbon dioxide for use in hospitals and fire-extinguishers, so brewers and drink makers are getting less. And although drinks manufacturers increased orders to meet the rise of demand from the World Cup, they didn't anticipate northern Europe's heatwave, and have struggled to satisfy demand. So with all this combined, it's a case of bad timing for punters looking for a drink. A heatwave in England is driving many to the beach, and many in search of a cold drink. ( AP: Andrew Matthews How long will the shortage last? The British Beer and Pub Association said last week the shortage might last at least for the next few weeks, and the British Soft Drinks Association said the shortage was impacting a wide range of businesses across the food and drink sector. Francois Sonneville, analyst at food and agribusiness bank Rabobank, predicted the shortage would only really start to hit drinkers in the coming days, as wholesalers, distributors and retailers worked their way through existing inventories. One major UK wholesaler confirmed it was limiting customers like bars and grocers to 10 cases of beer per brand a day to cope with the shortage. Of the brewers, some analysts see Heineken, the world's second biggest, as likely to be the most affected. The Dutch company warned pubs of low stock levels last week but said it has been able to source carbon dioxide elsewhere in Britain and from other parts of Europe as its three UK breweries work at full capacity. Anheuser-Busch InBev said it was not having any issues because it uses CO2 recovery systems in brewing that allow it to be mainly self-sufficient, as does Carlsberg. Still, Carlsberg said it was exploring alternatives in case the shortage becomes a longer-term problem. It also said it was ready to share carbon dioxide from other sites around northern Europe. ABC/wires