CO2-linked foods: how to eat around a shortage

Carbon dioxide, specifically the lack of it, hit the headlines this week in a way that’s likely to affect your barbecue and World Cup celebrations.

Carbon dioxide, specifically the lackof it, hit the headlines this week in a way that’s likely to affect your barbecue and World Cup celebrations. The byproduct of fertilizer production, it is found not just in your beer and soda, but is used to produce the chicken and pork found in grocery aisles as well as keeping all those bags of salads crispy and fresh.  

So what does this mean for you? No one is quite sure yet, but a possible outcome is a shortage of products available and a rise in price of those still on the shelves.

What can you do instead? We’ve rounded up our best recipes and articles to help you avoid CO2-linked foodstuffs and related strains on your wallet.

Grilled king prawns with chermoula recipe (pictured)

Grilled broccoli with makhani sauce recipe

Flame-grilled spiced sweetcorn recipe

Paul Hollywood's grilled vegetable picnic loaf recipe

Ching-He Huang's grilled aubergine with Chinese salsa verde recipe

Marco Pierre White's grilled tuna steaks à la niçoise recipe

Grilled marinated halloumi on seeded vegetable ribbons recipe

Rachel Allen's grilled mackerel fillets with parsley, mint and anchovy sauce recipe

Grilled mahi mahi with pineapple salsa recipe

Gary Rhode's grilled sea bass recipe

Get your 5-a-day here. 

Tenderstem, beetroot and toasted seed salad recipe (pictured)

Ella Woodward's lentil, courgette and mint salad recipe 

Plum, sweet potato and gorgonzola salad recipe

Brasserie Blanc's pea and broad bean salad recipe

Vietnamese prawn and pomelo salad recipe (video)

Indian roasted baby aubergine salad with spiced yoghurt dressing recipe

Middle Eastern tabbouleh salad

Scandanivian beetroot and potato salad recipe

Peter Sidewell's avocado, mint, chili and feta salad

Grilled Thai prawn salad with coconut and peanut dressing recipe

Bangkok-style green papaya salad recipe

Sweet potato, fig and feta salad recipe

Swap your fizzy drinks for thirst-quenching and healthy infused water. Don’t worry, here are 31 delicious water infusion recipes options that are far from boring!

If you feel you’ve just got to have chicken or pork, why not stretch out smaller quantities instead of the usual one cutlet per person? Once grilled, chop up or pull the meat and add it to tacos, hearty salads, sandwiches and more. Mix it with beans, some chopped veg and a little sauce to bulk it out. Here are a few ideas:

Chicken, blackberry and kale salad recipe (pictured)

Michel Roux jr's grilled sardines with ham and basil recipe

Chicken kathi rolls recipe

Tom Kerridge's black pepper pulled pork sloppy joe recipe

Davina McCall's chicken, broccoli and spelt salad recipe

Ching-He Huang's hoisin chicken lettuce cups recipe

Pulled pork and pickled slaw tacos recipe

Chicken skewers with apple and pea chutney recipe

Char siu pork with pak choy recipe

Head to your local green grocer or farmers’ market to get your fruit and veg, especially your greens, to avoid any plastic packaging or CO2 all together. Alternatively, head to the fields for the ultimate in fresh and tasty at a pick-your-own farm.