The two fast food chains are experiencing shortages of fresh chicken and french fries, respectively, forcing them to cut back on some normal menu items this month.
In Australia, KFC said it had temporarily removed some items from the menu at certain locations around the country as it struggled to find supply of its most important ingredient: fresh chicken. It said its suppliers were being hit by staff shortages related to Covid-19.
“We’re working with our multiple suppliers to mitigate the impact and provide them with support, but we expect some disruptions to continue in the coming weeks,” a company spokesperson told CNN Business.
KFC did not specify which menu items were affected, or which of its suppliers were experiencing problems.
Ingham’s declined to comment further Wednesday, saying it would not discuss ties with individual customers.
French fries also running low
Meanwhile, in Japan, McDonald’s has been forced to stop selling medium and large portions of fries.
Last Friday, it extended that suspension, saying that it would continue to only sell small-sized portions of fries at about 2,900 outlets nationwide through January.
According to McDonald’s, the shortage is set to continue this month as it continues to contend with the impact of a large flood near the Port of Vancouver in Canada, which handles much of the company’s imports of potatoes from North America.
It added that heavy snow and bad weather have also affected shipping services.
With the sale of larger fries temporarily suspended, all customers who buy a set meal that usually comes with those portions will be given a 50 yen (43 cents) discount.
McDonald’s said in its statement that it was working on “arranging new distribution channels” to secure a stable supply of potatoes in the future.
“We will continue to cooperate with importers and suppliers … so that regular sales of McDonald’s fries can be resumed as soon as possible,” it added.
The news adds to a string of headaches for fast food producers, which have grappled with global supply chain disruptions for months.
— CNN’s Emiko Jozuka contributed to this report.
