These 2 Ingredients May Not Be Available For Your Next Chipotle Order

It's been a tough summer for fast food chains. As we've previously reported, global supply chain issues have led to shortages of staple ingredients and materials at certain locations — Starbucks, for example, is suffering from a lack of flavored syrups and some teas. Other items that food industry experts predict might lag this year are canned beers and sodas, yeast, flour, and meat. The reason for global supply-chain bottlenecks are complicated, but they basically boil down to COVID-19 fallout, according to Reuters. 

Shipping vessels such as ships, trains, and trucks are still feeling pressure, and closures and worker reductions at farms, factories, and warehouses have made it difficult for such businesses to produce their usual volume of goods. Shortages are now affecting additional fast food locations, including Wendy's, Olive Garden, and Subway. If you — like us — are guilty of occasionally hitting up a fast food joint for a lunch or dinner on the go, you might find yourself unable to chow down on your favorite menu item. Such was the case recently at a Chipotle location in New Jersey. 

Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, food industry experts have warned of a possible meat shortage in 2021 and possibly beyond. When the meat processing workers that are vital to the task of breaking down and packaging whole animals test positive for the virus, processing plants often have to shutter at least temporarily, leading to fewer drumsticks and steaks on supermarket shelves. So far, the country hasn't seen the type of massive meat shortages we've been warned of, but at least one Chipotle location recently suffered a very localized shortage of its own.

As reported by Reuters, a New Jersey Chipotle restaurant ran out of barbacoa (braised beef) and carnitas (braised pork) during its lunch service. No word on how this affected hungry diners, but we can only imagine the disappointment of not being able to chow down on that burrito bowl. The chain said that some localized shortages could last "a few hours," but that its network is not currently facing sustained supply problems. Let's hope that's true, because we can feel a beef taco craving coming on.