A Cheesy Meltdown: Kraft Warns Of Velveeta Shortage

Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Sakuma/AP Paul Sakuma/AP

If I say Super Bowl food, you think ... Velveeta? Maybe Velveeta with Ro*Tel.

Oh, yes. Ro*Tel's Famous Con Queso.

What could be more Sunday-in-January-indulgent than hot, creamy, processed cheese mixed with diced tomatoes & green chilies.

I have to admit, I've scooped up my share of con queso on a nacho chip or two.

But this year, whether it's the Sochi Olympics or football playoffs that have you snacking on the couch, might you be searching for an alternative to the Velveeta-made con queso?

According to an AdvertisingAge report, Velveeta may be a little hard to come by in some areas over the next few weeks.

Ad Age reports that an employee of a Brooklyn, N.Y., area grocery has been told that shipments of Velveeta won't come until February. And the publication says there are reports about shortages from a few other grocery stores on the East Coast.

A Kraft spokesperson cites high demand as a factor. "It's ... amplified by the fact that this is a key time for the brand," Jody Moore told Ad Age.

We asked Kraft if it has any plans to get the production chain moving a little faster, and we heard back from Moore, who told us in an email that it is "possible that consumers may not be able to find some Velveeta products on store shelves over the next couple of weeks."

But, she adds, "We have not heard many complaints from consumers so far." And, she says, "This is really a short-term issue."

A quick check at a chain grocery here in Washington, D.C., finds shelves well-stocked. I guess we'll have to keep tabs.

So is Kraft pulling some kind of publicity stunt here?

Nope. Judy Moore says, "This is not a marketing strategy."