There intense yellow sauce more famous than the food department (after mayonnaise) it may no longer be found so easily on supermarket shelves. There Dijon mustardin fact, it is produced thanks to a particular quality of seeds produced in the French region of Burgundywhich however, in 2021, did not produce a good harvest.
A production down by 50% and an unprecedented shortage. Christophe Planes, sales manager of Reine de Dijon, one of the largest French mustard producers, also tells us. There seem to be the reasons for this crisis climate change, widespread price increases but also war. While a very wet and cold winter prevented France from getting a good harvest, the tension between Ukraine and Russia further limited the supply. The two countries are in fact among the main ones exporters of Dijon mustard but, due to the clashes, transport prices have risen exponentially, making procurement difficult.
The mustard supply problem seems to be frightening too overseas. Especially the Canada, the second largest producer of these seeds in the world after France, complains about the same situation. It seems that plants, which generally produce eight to ten seeds pods, we only produced four to six this year.
Lovers of fast and street food at this point they may start to worry, because mustard is not the only one sauce who has a hard time staying on the shelves of grocery stores. In fact, the supply chain of the sriracha, spicy glaze of Thai origins. Producer Huy Fong Foods identifies the problem in the climatic conditions that affect the quality of chili Peppers.
The suspicion is that the global shortage will continue to grow, making it increasingly difficult to find the most iconic sauces for sandwiches, tartare and more on the shelves of our supermarkets. The doubt about 2023 is about the choices of the farmers: Will they stick with the Dijon seed crop or opt for something less risky?
Source: Vanity Fair
