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Macaroni shortage set to end as Myllyn Paras production resumes

Finland has suffered from a macaroni shortage this summer.

Many macaroni shelves were empty this summer in Finland.
Image: Juha Kokkala / Yle
  • Yle News
  • STT

Store shelves will fill with macaroni soon, as machines producing pasta under the Myllyn Paras brand crank up production once again.

The Hyvinkää factory owned by Lantmännen Cereal has been out of action since mid-June, causing a shortage of many pasta products in Finnish shops.

A fault with a production machine meant pieces of metal could have ended up in pasta packets, and several products were withdrawn from shelves. Lantmännen Cereal says that the fault has been repaired and quality control stepped up.

Now production is running around the clock to satisfy Finns' demand for the wheat-based staple. It could take a few weeks before shelves are full once again, however. The company says around a month's worth of production was withdrawn from sale.

The Raketti Spagetti, Tumma Makaroni and Myllyn Paras Makaroni brands were all withdrawn from sale, causing supply issues nationwide.

Macaroni is a popular ingredient for an egg and mincemeat-based pasta bake dish in Finland, macaroni casserole (makaronilaatikko).

The company says it received several thousand complaints from customers during the summer-long shortage.

Lantmännen Cereal country director Mikko Savinko says that the Hyvinkää factory fault was unprecedented, and apologised for the situation.

"We have done everything we can to ensure that a similar situation can never be repeated," said Savinko in a press release.