(Reuters) — Kraft Foods is warning it may run short of its Velveeta cheese product, right at a time of high seasonal U.S. demand for the orangey-yellow foodstuff.
“It is possible consumers may not be able to find some Velveeta products on store shelves over the next couple of weeks,” Kraft spokeswoman Jody Moore said in an email on Tuesday. “This is really a short-term issue that’s more noticeable right now, given the increased seasonal demand. We have not heard many complaints from consumers so far.”
The processed cheese product is popular this time of year for dips and other recipes calling for melted cheese to make snacks often consumed while watching football on television. The National Football League playoffs began last weekend, and college football held its championship game on Monday night.
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“The driver is really the increased demand related to the football post-season. This is something that would likely have gone unnoticed at any other time of year,” Moore said. “This is not a marketing/advertising campaign.”
The story generated a minor tempest on Twitter after Advertising Age reported a possible shortage, quoting an unnamed employee of an unnamed Brooklyn-area grocery as saying that no further shipments were expected until February.
