That cream cheese shortage you heard about? Cyberattacks played a part

Cream cheese is displayed on a shelf in a Manhattan grocery store on Dec 6, 2021 in New York City. According to a news report, many New York City bagel shops and delis are facing a shortage of cream cheese, one of Manhattan’s most popular additions to a bagel. — AFP

The cream cheese shortage wreaking havoc on US bagel shops and bakeries is, in part, due to a cyberattack on the biggest US cheese manufacturer.

Schreiber Foods in Wisconsin, which makes cheese slices for most of the top burger chains in America and has a cream cheese business rivalling Kraft’s, closed for days in October after hackers compromised its plants and distribution centers. While that may not sound like a long time, the company is big enough that the lost production shook US markets.