Description

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), North America’s largest publicly traded wholesale food distributor, was forced to shut down parts of its IT systems following a cyberattack discovered on June 5, 2025. The Rhode Island-based company, which supplies over 30,000 locations—including Amazon’s Whole Foods—reported that the attack disrupted its ability to fulfill and distribute customer orders. UNFI, which operates 53 distribution centers and works with over 11,000 suppliers, said it promptly activated its incident response plan, took affected systems offline, and began investigating the breach with the help of external cybersecurity experts. The company acknowledged the attack is causing temporary disruptions to business operations, although it has implemented workarounds to maintain customer service where possible. UNFI has notified law enforcement and is working to assess and remediate the situation while gradually restoring affected systems. While the exact nature and origin of the attack remain undisclosed, no ransomware group has taken responsibility, and it's unclear if any customer or employee data was compromised. A UNFI spokesperson stated that the company is prioritizing the safety of its systems and the needs of its customers, employees, and suppliers. This incident places UNFI among a growing list of food industry companies targeted by cybercriminals. Recent high-profile attacks include Sam’s Club, which faced a ransomware investigation in March, and JBS Foods, which paid $11 million after a 2021 ransomware breach. Threat actors such as Scattered Spider and DragonForce have also been increasingly active, targeting retailers in both the U.K. and U.S. The breach at UNFI highlights the rising cybersecurity risks facing critical supply chain operators as they continue to be prime targets for sophisticated attacks.