Swiss food giant Nestle said on Saturday a huge shipment of KitKat chocolate, weighing around 12 tons, had been stolen last week.   

The company said the truck carrying 413,793 bars of its new chocolate range set off from its production facility in central Italy and was on its way to Poland when it disappeared.

Nestle did not reveal where exactly ​the truck was lost.

As of afternoon Saturday, the whereabouts of the ​vehicle and the merchandise remain unknown.

Nestle says they can track KitKat sales

"We've always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat," a spokesperson for the brand said, referring to the product's advertising slogan.

"But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate."

The firm said the heist could result in shortages of the crunchy bars — made of waffles covered with chocolate — on supermarket shelves in some European countries. 

It also warned that the missing chocolate bars "could enter unofficial sales channels." But Nestle said if that happens, it would be 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," it said.

Cargo theft a growing challenge

The company also sounded the alarm over the rise in cargo theft incidents.

"Whilst we appreciate the criminals' exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes," KitKat said.

"With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend."

Edited by: Darko Janjevic