A shipment of more than 12 tons of KitKat bars has disappeared in Europe after thieves stole a truck carrying 413,793 units during transit.
Nestlé confirmed the truck left central Italy bound for Poland but vanished in the week of March 23 while moving between production and distribution sites. Both the vehicle and its cargo remain missing as investigations continue with local authorities and supply chain partners.
The stolen shipment, weighing around 12 tonnes, was intended for distribution across multiple European markets. The timing is critical, as the loss could affect stock levels ahead of Easter, one of the busiest periods for chocolate sales.
A Nestlé spokesperson referenced the brand’s slogan, noting that while people are encouraged to “have a break,” the thieves appear to have taken it literally by making off with the entire load.
The company also warned that the stolen bars could reappear through unofficial resale channels. To counter this, Nestlé is tracking the products using unique batch codes printed on each bar, allowing retailers and distributors to identify and report any matches.
For now, the truck and its cargo remain unaccounted for, leaving Nestlé attempting to recover hundreds of thousands of missing chocolate bars before they enter the market.