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What's the Deal with This Oatly Shortage?

Plant-based milk lovers might've noticed recently that Oatly has seemingly disappeared from grocery store shelves.

Fans of dairy-free milk alternatives may have noticed something missing at the grocery store lately.

Bloomberg reported last week that Oatly AB, the company behind some of the most popular plant-based milk in the country, is in short supply. A noticeable shortage has been caused by a combination of pandemic-related delays in opening a new plant, as well as an exponential increase in demand.

With TikTok trends and plant-based diets on the rise, oat milk is more popular now than ever before. In an attempt to keep up, Oatly began construction on a new plant in Ogden, Utah, which was set to open last year.

Starbucks, an Oatly partner, announced last month that they would be expanding oat milk availability to all their U.S. stores and making it a permanent menu item. It wasn't long before the coffee chain experienced difficulties in meeting customer demand.

"Due to high demand, some customers may experience a temporary shortage of oat milk at their store," Starbucks said.

Currently, there's no information detailing when devout Oatly lovers will see their beloved cartons back on the shelves. Considering oat milk tends to be the most environmentally sustainable option out of mainstream dairy-free milks, we're hoping it makes a victorious return sooner rather than later.