If you’ve been searching the aisles of your local supermarket for Starburst chews and snakes to no avail, then you’re not alone.
Unfortunately, there is a reason why you can’t find your favourite Starburst lollies, and it’s not a good one.
The iconic lolly brand has been discontinued in Australia following supply chain difficulties and rising cost pressures.
Starburst manufacturer Mars Wrigley revealed the news after a TikTok video asking about the product went viral.
“Can someone tell me where these lollies went?” TikTok user @nariman.dein asked.
“I’ve been looking everywhere – Big W, Coles, whatever – these lollies don’t exist … did they just stop selling them and no one realised?”
@nariman.dein @starburst i need some answers #comedу #westernsydney #fyp #aussie #aussiethings #woolworths #coles #shopping #conspiracy
Thousands of people responded in agreement, admitting that they had also struggled to source the Starburst range.
“I love those lollies but they stopped selling them,” one person commented.
Another added: “I’ve been looking for them too.”
Okay, now it’s time to brace yourself for the bad news.
A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley told 7NEWS that the popular brand had been discontinued in Australia.
“We regularly review our Mars Wrigley product range to ensure we’re offering our consumers great tasting products that are also great value for money,” the spokesperson told the publication.
“Our STARBURST® products are imported from Europe and like many businesses that are importing products from overseas, the brand has been exposed to supply chain difficulties and rising cost pressures over the last two years.”
After “reviewing all options”, the manufacture was forced to make the “difficult decision” to discontinue the brand in Australia from June 2022.
The Aussie manufacturer will now be prioritising and investing in brands and products made locally, such as M&Ms, Maltesers, Skittles, Snickers, Extra and Eclipse.
We could really go for some Starburst Chews right now…