Never mind the Russian invasion or the rise of monkeypox, KFC Australia has stopped using lettuce and that’s the real emergency.
Despite seeing its profits increase by 12.9% last year, the fast food chain is refusing to pay an increased price for lettuce due to crop shortages. That means lettuce is out and a cabbage lettuce mix is in until further notice. On its website, KFC highlighted the recent severe floods in New South Wales and Queensland as a reason for the lettuce shortage.
The substitution genuinely provoked lots of anger online from KFC fans, and now even the actual Prime Minister has weighed in on the situation. PM Anthony Albanese, just in office, labelled KFC’s substitution of lettuce for cabbage as “crazy.” While appearing on the Kyle and Jackie O Show, he insisted the move was “just wrong.”
“This is a crisis,” he said to the hosts. “My son loves KFC and when he hears about this he is going to be devastated. It’s extreme. Cabbage isn’t the same as lettuce. That’s just wrong.”
Albanese then went further, saying that he’ll even raise the issue with the government: “I’ll put it on the list for the Cabinet meeting today. Cabbage-gate.”
The PM also struck a serious note while addressing the cost of living crisis. “And of course this week we’ve seen a half a percentage point increase which means a lot of money if you have a big mortgage,” he said.
“We know that families are really under pressure. That’s why we’ll produce a budget in October with cheaper childcare, cheaper medicines and other measures that we have to help cost of living pressures.”
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KFC isn’t the only place having a vegetable controversy. Subway has become the second major fast food chain in the country to confirm it’s mixing lettuce with cabbage due to the current shortage and increased prices.
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