McDonald’s stops sales of the Big Mac in Venezuela due to growing food crisis

CNN
Venezuelans have even flooded into Colombia to purchase food, often at inflated prices, in the midst of their home country's shortages.
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French Fries were taken off the menu in Venezuela for 10 months in 2015 and now the Big Mac has met the same fate.
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Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc., the largest McDonald's franchisee in the world, has suspended sales of the Big Mac because of sourcing issues.

PUBLISHED: July 22, 2016 at 4:41 p.m. | UPDATED: April 8, 2018 at 8:32 p.m.

Big Mac sales at McDonald’s locations throughout Venezuela are on hold because the country can’t provide the middle bun essential for iconic burger.

Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc., the largest McDonald’s franchisee in the world with over 2,100 locations in Latin America and the Caribbean, made the decision because of Venezuela’s growing humanitarian crisis.

Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc., the largest McDonald's franchisee in the world, has suspended sales of the Big Mac because of sourcing issues. — Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc., the largest McDonald’s franchisee in the world, has suspended sales of the Big Mac because of sourcing issues.

Until the burger is back, the company is encouraging customers to try other options such as the Quarter Pounder, Pollo CBO and McNifa cheeseburger.

French Fries were taken off the menu in Venezuela for 10 months in 2015 and now the Big Mac has met the same fate.

“McDonald’s Venezuela is working to resolve this temporary situation,” said Daniel Schleiniger, a spokesman for Arcos Dorados. “Together with our supplier, we are evaluating the best options that will allow us to continue serving high quality food to our customers.”

Venezuelans have even flooded into Colombia to purchase food, often at inflated prices, in the midst of their home country's shortages. — Venezuelans have even flooded into Colombia to purchase food, often at inflated prices, in the midst of their home country’s shortages.

This is not the first time McDonald’s has pulled a product off its menus in Venezuela because of sourcing problems.

For the first 10 months of 2015, the franchisee also pulled French fries off the menu because they could not import the pre-cooked potatoes.

There is no telling when the burger boasting three buns will be back on menus, but with reports of barren grocery stores throughout the country and shortages of everything from milk to medicine, it could be a while.