Where Did the Lettuce in Hamburgers Go... Supply Instability Due to Abnormal Climate

Heatwaves, Heavy Rain... Poor Lettuce Harvest Amid Autumn Typhoon 'Hinnamnor'
Free Drink Coupons, Mixed with Cabbage Provided
Last Year, Lettuce Supply Plummeted Due to Cold Wave
Industry "Seeking Ways to Minimize Franchisee Losses"

This summer, the supply of lettuce has significantly decreased and prices have sharply risen due to the combined effects of heatwaves and heavy rains, as well as the recent landfall of Typhoon Hinnamnor, the 11th typhoon of the season, on the Korean Peninsula. The photo shows the vegetable section at a large supermarket in downtown Seoul on the 14th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan] Recently, as the supply instability of lettuce has prolonged, some franchise companies selling hamburgers and sandwiches are offering menus without lettuce. This is attributed to poor lettuce harvests caused by abnormal weather, including a combination of heatwaves and heavy rain this summer, followed by typhoons arriving in the fall.

Korea McDonald's announced on its website on the 7th, in a 'Notice on Coupon Provision Due to Lettuce Supply Instability,' that some stores may provide less lettuce than usual or may find it difficult to supply lettuce.

McDonald's stated, "Due to weather impacts, the supply of lettuce is unstable," and "In such cases, free drink coupons usable at the stores are provided together." It is known that McDonald's receives about 4,200 tons of lettuce annually nationwide.

Korea McDonald's announced on the 7th through its website that some stores may provide less lettuce than usual or may have difficulty providing it.
Photo by Korea McDonald's website

The cause of the lettuce supply instability is poor lettuce harvests due to abnormal weather. This summer saw overlapping heatwaves and heavy rain, and Typhoon No. 11 'Hinnamnor' arrived in September, the fall season, significantly reducing lettuce supply. Lettuce, a leafy vegetable, is vulnerable to weather and temperature and cannot be stockpiled, which also affected supply instability. When prices rise, buyers must pay the increased price as is.

Currently, lettuce prices have risen sharply. According to the Seoul Agricultural & Marine Products Corporation, on the 16th, the average price of top-grade regular lettuce (10 kg) at the Garak-dong agricultural and marine products wholesale market in Seoul was 34,459 KRW, up 3,328 KRW from the previous day. This is more than a 60% increase compared to a month ago.

Consumers express dissatisfaction at the news that lettuce may be omitted from hamburgers. Kim, a university student who frequently uses McDonald's, said, "I understand the situation, but this has happened several times before," and added, "Even when I receive drink coupons that must be used in person, I end up not using them and just saving them."

Last October, a similar situation occurred when an unexpected cold wave sharply reduced lettuce supply at some franchises. At that time, McDonald's also provided free drink coupons, and Burger King offered three pieces of 'Nugget King (chicken nuggets)' for free when lettuce stock ran out.

Last June, the lettuce planted in the fields of Cheongil-myeon, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon, was left melting away. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Lotteria is in a similar situation. It is reported that stores outside the metropolitan area are providing a mix of lettuce and cabbage. Lotteria stated on its website, "Due to abnormal weather in production areas, lettuce supply is not smooth, so we are providing a mixture of lettuce and cabbage."

Sandwich franchise Subway is also experiencing difficulties securing lettuce. Some stores are reportedly facing a situation where salad sales may become impossible in the future. Other franchises such as Burger King, KFC, Mom's Touch, and No Brand Burger are also reportedly concerned about a supply crisis caused by lettuce shortages.

Meanwhile, companies are making every effort to secure lettuce supplies and have stated that if supply instability does not improve, they will seek ways to minimize damage to franchise owners.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.