United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), a primary supplier to Whole Foods and tens of thousands of grocery stores across North America, is reportedly now working to contain a cyberattack that has crippled its ordering systems and caused widespread disruptions in food distribution.
The company first detected the intrusion on June 5 and responded by taking parts of its network offline to prevent further damage.
In a statement, UNFI said it had enlisted outside cybersecurity experts and notified federal law enforcement as it investigates the breach and works to restore full service.
The attack has affected deliveries of fresh produce, frozen goods, and pantry staples, triggering delays and shortages for some retailers.
At Whole Foods locations, staff have reportedly been instructed to tell customers that supply chain problems may persist for several days.
UNFI Chief Executive Sandy Douglas addressed the situation during an earnings call on Tuesday, assuring stakeholders that the company had implemented contingency plans and that some shipments were continuing, albeit at reduced capacity.
Douglas emphasized that UNFI was restoring systems methodically, prioritizing security and data integrity.
The disruption comes at a time when grocery chains are already navigating thin margins and fragile logistics networks. Smaller independent stores that rely heavily on UNFI are particularly vulnerable, with some scrambling to find alternative suppliers to fill gaps.
Investors reacted swiftly to the news. UNFI shares dropped more than 8 percent after the company disclosed the attack, and leadership revised its financial guidance downward.
The distributor now expects a net loss of $55 million to $80 million for the fiscal year, citing the cyberattack among other operational challenges.
Though UNFI did not specify whether the attack was ransomware, the incident bears hallmarks of similar recent breaches that have targeted companies in critical infrastructure and retail supply chains.
Cybersecurity analysts note that attackers are increasingly setting their sights on industries where digital systems are deeply intertwined with physical distribution.
This is not the first time the U.S. food sector has been shaken by cyber incidents. Previous attacks on meat processors and regional grocery chains have highlighted vulnerabilities in the systems that keep shelves stocked and households fed.
For now, the full extent of the disruption remains unclear. UNFI has not released a timeline for when its systems will be fully restored.
Meanwhile, retailers and consumers alike are left navigating sporadic outages and a reminder of how dependent modern commerce has become on secure digital infrastructure.
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