Cadbury has been forced to withdraw its popular hot chocolate drinking powder from UK stores after identifying a "quality issue" with the product.

Fans across the country have taken to social media over the past few days, asking why they have been unable to find Cadbury Drinking Chocolate in stores.

One shopper on X (formerly Twitter) posted: "@CadburyUK where is all of your hot chocolate???? No shop seems to have it?!"

Another person commented: "Where has all the #Cadbury hot chocolate gone? No sign of it in any shop."

While a third fan added: "Is there any reason why I haven’t been able to buy Cadbury Hot Chocolate powder anywhere for a few weeks now?"

Others thought the Cadbury product had been discontinued.

This concerned Cadbury-lover said: "@CadburyUK Hi there, has your drinking chocolate been discontinued? We usually buy the 2kg or 5kg tubs from @BookerCatering  but they've totally vanished!"

While those who have managed to purchase the hot chocolate powder have reported finding "little fuzzy mould" within the product.

One X user, posted: "@CadburyUK little fuzzy molds growing in what was a sealed tall tub of hot chocolate powder with a best before date in 2026, and the powder has suspiciously vanished from all stores so I can’t replace it."

Cadbury withdraws hot chocolate from UK stores

Mondelez International, which owns Cadbury, has now confirmed the hot chocolate powder has been withdrawn from UK stores for a "short period" due to an issue with the quality of the product.

A Mondelez International spokesperson, speaking to Sky News, said: "We have identified a food quality issue in Cadbury Drinking Chocolate products meaning in some instances the texture and colour of the product may not look as expected.

"As a result, we have swiftly withdrawn affected products from retailers, to make specific improvements to future production.

"This unfortunately means Cadbury Drinking Chocolate products will be unavailable for a short period.

"Whilst this is a quality issue – meaning all existing Drinking Chocolate products are completely safe to consume – the consistency of our products is vitally important to us.

"This is why we are taking these swift steps to ensure our consumers can receive the consistently high-quality product they expect from us.

"Should anyone not be fully satisfied with the quality of a Cadbury Drinking Chocolate product they have already purchased, we’d ask them to contact our consumer care team for assistance."

When will Cadbury Drinking Chocolate return to stores?

The Mondelez spokesperson apologised for the "inconvenience" caused by the withdrawal and said it was "working hard" to have Cadbury Drinking Chocolate back on shelves across the UK as soon as possible.

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The spokesperson said: "We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience experienced by our consumers and customers.

"We are working hard to get Cadbury Drinking Chocolate back in shops again quickly, and we envisage this will be around mid-December.

"Other hot chocolate products including Bournville Cocoa, Green & Blacks Cocoa, Cadbury Instants and Cadbury Highlights are not impacted.”

Mondelez International have been contacted for further comment.