Geneva: A large shipment of KitKat chocolate bars has been stolen in Europe, raising concerns over potential shortages in stores ahead of Easter, the company confirmed.

Nestlé, the Swiss food giant that owns KitKat, said on Saturday that a truck carrying 413,793 units of its new chocolate range – weighing around 12 tonnes – was stolen during transit between production and distribution centres last week.

A company spokesperson said, “We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat, but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate.”

The brand warned that the theft could result in a shortage of KitKats on store shelves, adding that consumers “may struggle to find their favourite chocolates ahead of Easter”.

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The stolen truck had departed central Italy and was en route to Poland, with plans to distribute the chocolate bars across several European countries. Nestlé did not specify exactly where the vehicle went missing but confirmed that both the truck and its contents remain unaccounted for.

Investigations are ongoing in collaboration with local authorities and supply chain partners. KitKat also cautioned that the stolen bars could appear in unofficial sales channels across European markets but said each bar’s unique batch code would allow the company to trace and recover the stolen goods if located.