Andrew Heinzman
Hackers are partially responsible for the cream cheese shortage currently ravaging bakeries, restaurants, and bagel shops. As reported by Bloomberg, the Wisconsin-based Schreiber Foods closed for several days due to a cyberattack, leading to a significant pause in production and distribution.
While the intent behind this cyberattack is still a mystery, its curdling consequences are quite clear. Government data shows cream cheese production dropped 6.9% in October, the month that Schreiber Foods got whipped by hackers.
Cream cheese is relatively shelf-stable, but it can’t last forever. As a result, October is the big month where cream cheese companies produce most of their holiday supply. And they usually require a very large supply of schmear, as cream cheese is a popular ingredient in cakes and pies.
Of course, we can’t just blame hackers for the schmear shortage. Shipping is still an obstacle for companies in the “post” pandemic world, and the labor shortage certainly isn’t a help either.
There is some silver lining here. Schreiber Foods makes cream cheese for restaurants, you know, real cream cheese. The stuff that comes in tubs (which tastes good to me) shouldn’t be affected by this shortage, unless restaurants are forced to buy the stuff, of course.
