If you’ve tried to pick up tofu in your local supermarket recently, you may have noticed that stocks are low or non-existent. What’s going on?
Germany is known as a meat-loving country, with many different varieties of the humble Wurst (sausage) on offer in restaurants and supermarkets.
But many people have been moving towards vegetarianism, or introducing more plant-based protein to their diet in recent years.
So it is with sadness that we have to report that retailers are facing difficulties in stocking a vegan and veggie favourite: tofu.
READ ALSO: ‘People are eating less meat’ – How Germany is embracing vegan food
That’s right: German supermarkets – like Edeka and Rewe – are currently grappling with a shortage of the soya-based product. Reports suggest the problem is due to technical glitches as well as a lack of skilled workers.
Manufacturers simply cannot keep up with production, and delivery volumes have been reduced for weeks.
Shortage of products ‘until 2027’
Market leader, Taifun, has been hit particularly hard. A machine breakdown brought the Freiburg-based company’s operations to a standstill at the end of 2025.
Although the fault has been fixed, the manufacturer is still unable to meet demand. Popular products such as Tofu Sausages, Plain Firm Tofu, Tofu Filets Japanese Style and Tofu Filets Wild Garlic have all been temporarily removed from the range.
In a statement Taifun said: “Unfortunately, we have not been able to provide all products in the quantities recently. This was due to temporary difficulties within our production process, which resulted in a significant reduction of the amount of natural tofu, which is the basis of all our products.
“We would like to apologise to those of you who have to do without their favourite products. We aim to gradually reintroduce the products into our range. At this time, however, we anticipate that this will not happen until early 2027.”
Staff shortages holding the industry back
However, the problem is not only linked to technical issues.
The second-largest supplier, Berief, is also only able to meet demand to a limited extent.
As well as high sales volumes, the industry is struggling with a shortage of skilled workers.
Both Berief and Taifun report significant difficulties in recruiting staff. And without new employees, it is virtually impossible to increase capacity.
Yet demand for tofu is higher than ever. According to the Lebensmittel Zeitung, sales in March rose by over 11 percent compared to the previous year.
Companies are hoping that a recruitment drive will boost production.
But until the situation is resolved, tofu – or bean curd as it is also known – could remain a rare luxury item in German supermarkets.
READ ALSO: Deutsche Bahn ‘goes green’ with vegan menu and porcelain coffee cups
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
