Overview
- Shoppers across German supermarkets and discounters are seeing empty shelf space for tofu and intermittent availability of branded and own‑label products.
- The shortfall reflects a surge in demand for plant‑based protein that outpaced production, with trade reporting sales rising sharply earlier this year.
- Taifun, the country’s largest tofu maker, said a machine breakdown at the end of 2025 sharply cut its output and forced it to pause some product lines while stocks ran down.
- Other producers including Berief report they are running at or near capacity and cannot hire enough trained staff, which prevents a quick scale‑up of production.
- Retailers warn that normal supply levels are unlikely before the end of 2026, a development that could keep prices and substitutions in store in flux and push shoppers toward alternative protein options.