Nestle says thieves stole 12 tons of KitKat chocolate bars

## Summary
https://p.dw.com/p/5BJuJ Nestle did not reveal where exactly ​the truck was lost [File: April 16, 2025] Image: Pierre Albouy/REUTERS Advertisement Swiss food giant Nestle said on Saturday a huge shipment of KitKat chocolate, weighing around 12 tons, had been stolen last week. The thieves took off with nearly 414,000 bars of chocolate Image: Dominic Lipinski/empics/picture alliance Nestle says they can track KitKat sales "We've always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat," a spokesperson for the brand said, referring to the product's advertising slogan. "But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate." The firm said the heist could result in shortages of the crunchy bars — made of waffles covered with chocolate — on supermarket shelves in some European countries. It also warned that the missing chocolate bars "could enter unofficial sales channels." But Nestle said if that happens, it would be possible to trace the stolen goods by scanning the unique batch codes found on each bar. "If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat who will then share the evidence appropriately," it said. Easter chocolate prices surge amid cocoa supply crunch To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Cargo theft a growing challenge The company also sounded the alarm over the rise in cargo theft incidents. "Whilst we appreciate the criminals' exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes," KitKat said. "With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend." Edited by: Darko Janjevic Advertisement

## Article Content
https://p.dw.com/p/5BJuJ
Nestle did not reveal where exactly ​the truck was lost [File: April 16, 2025]
Image: Pierre Albouy/REUTERS
Advertisement
Swiss food giant Nestle said on Saturday a huge shipment of KitKat chocolate, weighing around 12 tons, had been stolen last week.
The company said the truck carrying 413,793 bars of its new chocolate range set off from its production facility in central
Italy
and was on its way to
Poland
when it disappeared.
Nestle did not reveal where exactly ​the truck was lost.
As of afternoon Saturday, the whereabouts of the ​vehicle and the merchandise remain unknown.
The thieves took off with nearly 414,000 bars of chocolate
Image: Dominic Lipinski/empics/picture alliance
Nestle says they can track KitKat sales
"We've always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat," a spokesperson for the brand said, referring to the product's advertising slogan.
"But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate."
The firm said
the heist
could result in shortages of the crunchy bars — made of waffles covered with chocolate — on supermarket shelves in some European countries.
It also warned that the missing chocolate bars "could enter unofficial sales channels." But Nestle said if that happens, it would be possible to trace the stolen goods by scanning the unique batch codes found on each bar.
"If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat who will then share the evidence appropriately," it said.
Easter chocolate prices surge amid cocoa supply crunch
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that
supports HTML5 video
Cargo theft a growing challenge
The company also sounded the alarm over the rise in cargo theft incidents.
"Whilst we appreciate the criminals' exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes," KitKat said.
"With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend."
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
Advertisement

---

## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- Easter chocolate prices surge amid cocoa supply crunch To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Cargo theft a growing challenge The company also sounded the alarm over the rise in cargo theft incidents. "Whilst we appreciate the criminals' exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes," KitKat said. "With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend." Edited by: Darko Janjevic Advertisement

### Implications
- The thieves took off with nearly 414,000 bars of chocolate Image: Dominic Lipinski/empics/picture alliance Nestle says they can track KitKat sales "We've always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat," a spokesperson for the brand said, referring to the product's advertising slogan. "But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate." The firm said the heist could result in shortages of the crunchy bars — made of waffles covered with chocolate — on supermarket shelves in some European countries.
- It also warned that the missing chocolate bars "could enter unofficial sales channels." But Nestle said if that happens, it would be possible to trace the stolen goods by scanning the unique batch codes found on each bar. "If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat who will then share the evidence appropriately," it said.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers chocolate, nestle, kitkat topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 360.