The United Kingdom is currently facing an acute shortage of tomatoes as harvests in Europe and North Africa have been hit by bad weather conditions.
This has left supermarkets’ shelves empty and consumers struggling to find it. Due to the supply shortage, prices for fresh produce have skyrocketed which has left many restaurants in the country with little alternative but to do without tomatoes, a key ingredient in many dishes, reports NDTV.
According to a report in UK's Metro, the shortage can soon lead to a "crisis" in the pizza market as businesses find themselves unable to afford to produce the passata base.
Federazione Italian Cuochi (FIC) UK, a chefs' group, said the price of tomatoes increased by 400 per cent last year - from 5 pounds (Rs 495) a case to 20 pounds (Rs 1,981) a case.
In other parts of Europe, like Italy, restaurants are currently facing a "very difficult" period as a result of concerns with growing expenses and Brexit, according to FIC UK President Enzo Oliveri, who also expressed concern that some may go out of business.
"I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel," he told The Guardian. Tomatoes in the UK are mostly sourced from Spain or Morocco, but according to Oliveri "there's everywhere a shortage, there's no tomatoes coming from any place."
There are shortages of high-quality canned and crushed tomatoes, and despite his efforts to arrange supplies with producers, Oliveri claims some eateries are adjusting by eliminating the ingredient from their menus in favour of "white" tomato-free pizzas and pasta meals.
According to the outlet, ricotta cheese and vegetables like courgettes or aubergines are also being used by chefs as a base and to thicken sauces.
Oliveri said, "White pizza, white sauces for pasta or less tomato. We're making it a trend because prices are going up and because of shortages."
