The British government will pay millions of pounds to an American company in the coming weeks in order to ensure CO2 supplies, which are indispensable to the food industry. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced on Tuesday that the government would provide “limited financial support” to CF Fertilisers, which produces around 60 percent of the UK’s supplies of carbon dioxide, used primarily by the food sector but also in the health and nuclear industries. CO2 is used to stun animals before slaughter, in the vacuum packing of food products to extend their shelf life, and to put the fizz into beer, cider, and soft drinks. CO2’s solid form is dry ice, which is used in food deliveries. Spiralling energy costs have led to the suspension of operations at fertiliser plants including CF Fertilisers, which has suspended operations at its Teesside and Cheshire plants, leading to serious shortages in CO2 supplies. Under …