United Natural Foods (UNFI), a significant distributor of groceries to Whole Foods and other retailers, announced it was hit by a cyberattack, warning of potential disruptions in fulfilling and distributing customer orders. UNFI disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that unauthorized access to its IT systems was detected last Thursday, leading to portions of its network being shut down. The company has implemented workarounds for certain operations to continue servicing customers where possible, but the intrusion continues to cause ongoing disruptions to its business operations. UNFI is one of the largest grocery distributors in North America, supplying fresh produce, goods, and food products to over 30,000 stores and supermarket locations across the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, UNFI serves as the primary distributor to Whole Foods, the Amazon-owned grocery chain. Last year, the two companies extended their long-running contract until May 2032. A spokesperson for UNFI, Kristen Jimenez, stated that the company is assessing the unauthorized activity and working to restore its systems safely. The incident was reported to law enforcement. This cyberattack on UNFI is part of a recent string of attacks affecting the retail and grocery supply chain globally.
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