The holiday cookie aisle might look a little different this season thanks to the lack of one particular fan favorite snack. Pepperidge Farm warns that there will likely be a shortage of the cult classic Milano cookie due to complications via the COVId-19 pandemic. There will likely be shortages of other popular Pepperidge Farm treats, but the Milano variant is at the highest risk.
A combination of labor shortages and demand for products thanks to more people staying home or ordering groceries online have caused stress on Pepperidge Farm plants. "This portfolio is unique with proprietary recipes, and therefore we do not outsource production. We’ve prioritized increasing supply and are already leveraging capacity opportunities across the network to meet increases in demand and maximize availability," Campbell's Soup Co., Pepperidge Farm's parent company, said in a statement.
A shortage isn't new to the Pepperidge Farm company. Earlier in the pandemic, demand for the popular Goldfish cracker snack and various Campbell's soups soared, and the company had a hard time keeping up. However, a cookie shortage might be even more difficult to bounce back from during the holiday season, when the demand is at its highest.