Grocery supply chain shortages extend beyond cream cheese

What’s happening: National cream cheese shortages have been widely reported. But local grocery stores are also seeing shortages of other products amid ongoing supply-chain challenges.

Why it matters: From bagel shops and cafes to your kitchen, a lack of key ingredients may change daily rituals for some, like a morning bagel and coffee with half & half, and holiday traditions for others, like cheesecakes and fudge.

The latest: Publix implemented restrictions just before Thanksgiving for purchase limits. A spokesperson told me there isn’t a current timeline to lift them.

• The grocer cited ongoing supply issues and increased holiday demand as reasons for purchase limits.
• They hope setting purchase limits and clearly communicating at shelf they hope people will be able to find what they need for their favorite holiday recipes.

The list: Here’s the a list of what you are limited to buying two of any individual item at your local Publix:

• bacon
• coconut flakes
• dairy whipping cream
• half & half
• frozen pie shells
• frozen hashbrowns
• canola, corn and vegetable oil
• canned cranberry sauce
• jarred gravy
• cream cheese
• rolled breakfast sausage
• disposable plates, cups and cutlery
• bath tissue
• refrigerated snacks (think Lunchables) 
• sports drinks
• aseptic type juices (Capri Sun)
• canned cat food variety packs
• refrigerated pet food

For Poppy’s Bagels & More owner Ronnie Rippner, it’s business as usual for the most part.

• One of his regular suppliers was out of cream cheese, but he was able to purchase more from his other supplier earlier this week.
• “Hopefully the other supplier won’t run out now too,” he says.
• While he has enough to get through a week or two, he’s limited in how much he can purchase at once due to storage.

Statewide production: North Carolina is home to 45,000 milk cows, producing nearly 1 billion pounds of milk annually, according to N.C. State.

• Mecklenburg County has two dairy processing operators, which both focus on cheese.

What they’re saying: “You get some products that get put into a bottle and within 24 hours are on the shelf, like milk,” said Brittany Whitmire, an extension association at NC State University’s Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics.

“Then you get other products like aged cheeses or even cream cheese, it’s not a long aged product, but it requires a little more lead time, so some of those things cause a little bit of a bump in the quote unquote, normal sort of path of business,” she added.

Holiday spirit: Philadelphia Cream Cheese’s Spread the Feeling campaign  will help people with replacement desserts.

• The Kraft Heinz brand will provide 18,000 people $20 reimbursements for a holiday dessert.
• Reservations will be available starting at noon on Dec. 17 and 18 for 10,000 people and 8,000 respectively.
• Reserve your spot by buying a dessert between Dec. 17-24. Redeem your reward between Dec. 28 and Jan. 4.

My thought bubble: Every December, I make my mom’s fudge, which relies heavily on cream cheese. Thankfully, I haven’t run into any issues purchasing the key ingredient yet.