NEW YORK (AP) — Playoff parties may have one fewer dip option this year.
Kraft
Foods says some customers may not be able to find Velveeta cheese over
the next few weeks. A representative for the company, Jody Moore, didn’t
give any reasons for the apparent shortage, saying only that they
happen from time to time given the "nature of manufacturing."
She
noted that the lack of availability is more noticeable because of the
seasonal demand during the NFL playoffs. The company has been airing TV
commercials featuring a recipe for a chili con queso dip made with
Velveeta.
Moore says it should be a short-term situation and that
Kraft hasn’t yet heard from any customers who are having problem finding
the products. She did not say whether the company experienced a similar
shortage last year.
The trade publication Ad Age reported the
issue Tuesday, quoting an employee at a Brooklyn-area grocery store who
didn’t expect shipments again until February due to "a plant issue."
Representatives
for supermarket chain operators Kroger and Safeway were not immediately
available to comment on whether they were having difficulty stocking
Velveeta cheeses. The shortage affects only the Velveeta hard cheese
products, but was not limited to a specific area.
"It is possible consumers in any part of the country may not be able to find some Velveeta
products," Moore said in an email.
Kraft Foods Group Inc., based in Northfield, Ill., also owns brand including Jell-O, Oscar Mayer and
Maxwell House.
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