Grand theft chocolate: 12‑ton KitKat F1 bars vanish in Italy
· Citizen
Thieves in Italy did not have a break, but had a KitKat: at least twelve tons of the F1-themed chocolate bars.
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KitKat, owned by Swiss food giant Nestlé, on Sunday said a huge shipment of the chocolate bars was stolen in Europe, warning that the heist risked causing shortages in stores right before Easter.
Chocolate heist
Nestle confirmed that a truck carrying 413 793 units of its new Formula 1 car-shaped KitKat chocolate bar range was stolen in transit after leaving its production site in Italy and before reaching Poland.
“We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat,” a spokesperson for the brand said, referring to its catchphrase.
“But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate.”
KitKat became the official chocolate partner of Formula 1 ahead of the 2025 season.
Regarding recent press coverage pic.twitter.com/Huh4EnFV2J
— KITKAT (@KITKAT) March 29, 2026
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Investigations
Nestlé did not say where specifically the goods had gone missing, but said: “The vehicle and its contents remain unaccounted for”.
“Investigations are ongoing in close collaboration with local authorities and supply chain partners,” it said.
KitKat warned that the missing chocolate bars “could enter unofficial sales channels across European markets”. It said it was possible to trace the stolen goods by scanning the unique batch codes found on each bar.
“If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat, who will then share the evidence appropriately,” Nestle said.
KitKat unveiled a life-sized F1 car made from chocolate, handcrafted over 1,254 hours by chocolatier Jen Lindsey-Clark.
– Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) March 28, 2026
The 350kg, 5-meter-long edible sculpture mimics a modern racer, using over 16,900 two-finger KitKats. pic.twitter.com/g3IIyC6Iv9
KitKat recall
In 2022, as a precaution, Nestlé South Africa recalled a limited number of KitKat milk chocolate products due to the possibility that they contained glass fragments.
While it received no complaints or reported injuries, Nestlé said it was recalling the Kit Kat products after discovering small pieces of glass during its quality and safety checks.
The affected products were produced over a limited period, and the recall covered only products with specific production codes listed on the label.
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