Cyberattack on UNFI Disrupts Food, Medicine Supplies

A major cyberattack on United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), the largest organic food distributor in the U.S. and main supplier to Whole Foods and thousands of other stores, led to nationwide shortages of grocery essentials and prescription medications. The incident forced UNFI to take critical systems offline, disrupting order fulfillment and distribution, with stores reporting empty shelves for items such as bread, dairy, and canned goods. Some local stores and co-ops have partially mitigated the impact by sourcing from alternative suppliers, though these measures are limited, especially for perishables. UNFI has gradually started restoring systems and fulfilling orders by duplicating prior shipments, but full recovery is ongoing. The FBI is investigating the breach, which has highlighted the significant vulnerabilities in the nation’s food supply chain to cyber threats. The situation remains fluid as supply constraints persist.