Taco Bell Menu Items May Be out of Stock as Chain Faces Food Shortage

Specific food shortages continue in the U.S., and Taco Bell is feeling the pressure. The fast-food [...]

Specific food shortages continue in the U.S., and Taco Bell is feeling the pressure. The fast-food chain has issued a warning on its website saying that some menu items may be out of stock due to shortages of chicken, beef tortillas and hot sauce in some regions. Those who strive to Live Más are already panicking.

"Sorry if we can't feed your current crave. Due to national ingredient shortages and delivery days, we may be out of some items," the Taco Bell warning reads. Customers have already begun adding details to this warning where possible, reporting which items were unavailable in their area and what they have read about shortages from other sources. Of course, few items at Taco Bell are made without at least one of the four ingredients listed above. Generally, shortages of hot sauce packets are the thing that has people the most upset.

"My Taco Bell told me there's a mild sauce shortage and they ran out. That's one product shortage too many. Now it's serious," one person tweeted. Another added: "The end of time is upon us. Get the chainsaws ready and your cars Mad Maxed because the apocalypse is here." A third person wrote: "Yeah, went to my local Taco Bell and they are out of about half the menu and they are closing early."

When CBS News reached out for a comment, Taco Bell declined to offer more specifics, but did give a more detailed statement. It read: Due to national transportation delays happening throughout most of the industry, we may temporarily be out of some items. Apologies for the inconvenience and we hope to feed fans' current Taco Bell cravings again soon."

Generally, commenters seem to assume that the supply shortages are downstream effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which slowed manufacturing and transportation all over the world. Many also marveled at the fact that a shortage like this was passing under the radar as a relatively low priority news item, where it would have been a major story just two years ago. Some wondered if the global economy would ever look the same again, and some even shared conspiracy theories about the shortages.

Many were concerned that the low vaccination rates in the U.S. meant that the COVID-19 pandemic would continue, and would create further disruptions in the economy to go on for years. Coronavirus vaccines are generally available around the U.S., but the vaccination rate remains well below the herd immunity standard. Visit the CDC's website for more information.

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