According to Nestle, the shipment consisted of 413,793 bars from KitKat’s new Formula 1 chocolate range.

The truck transporting them had departed from central Italy and was bound for Poland, where the products were set to be distributed across Europe.

The vehicle and its cargo remain unaccounted for and the company has not revealed exactly where along the roughly 776 to 838-mile route the theft occurred.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the incident, which took place somewhere between production and distribution.

In a statement released to The Athletic, the company responded to the unusual theft with a touch of humour while acknowledging a broader concern around cargo crime.

“We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat — but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate,” the KitKat spokesperson said.

The statement continued by highlighting the wider issue faced by companies moving goods across supply chains.

“Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes,” it read.

“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.”

The missing bars are part of a line introduced as the confectionery brand deepened its relationship with Formula 1.

Among the products unveiled was a chocolate moulded into the shape of an F1 car, featuring a milk chocolate shell with crispy cereal and wafer pieces, alongside a new F1 KitKat Chunky variant.

Nestle has said partners have been informed of the theft and confirmed the stolen products can be tracked using unique batch codes attached to each bar’s packaging.