Is There Really A Shortage Of Pillsbury Biscuits?

At this point in the pandemic, there really is no corner of the economy that hasn't been untouched by the worldwide upheaval we've all experienced. Supply chain issues have become a fact of life, especially in the restaurant and grocery industries. In contrast to the panic buying we all saw in the spring of 2020, the shelves are looking bare again for a different reason. Factories are now having issues gaining access to raw materials to produce items, partly due to gas prices and labor shortages as well as general goods to make certain items, which have greatly affected distributors' abilities to deliver products that would normally stock grocery stores (via NBC 12). 

For example, according to Taste of Home, manufacturers are still feeling the heat of the aluminum shortage that resulted from the mad grab of canned goods throughout the pandemic. But there's also the more bizarre reasons — like notably last year when there was a cream cheese shortage due to supply chain issues combined with a cyber attack on a cheese manufacturer, according to Cincinnati.com. And now the latest casualty of these rampant supply chain issues is none other than canned biscuits.

More than ever before, the products we are accustomed to having at our fingertips are becoming available more sporadically. And if you love Pillsbury biscuits, it's not good news. KMDL-FM admits that they were skeptical at first of whether or not there really was a shortage of canned biscuits, or how severe it was, but after "crowdsourcing" pictures from Facebook, they became convinced it's a real problem. Many users submitted photos of bare shelves and slim pickings for refrigerated varieties, especially name brands like Pillsbury. Though the brand's goods aren't unavailable in all locations, their presence seems more sporadic than ever.

The radio station suggests that the culprit could be "trickle-down" effect from the ongoing labor shortage, and they warn that this could lead to price increases in the near future. Market Realist also notes that General Mills, the company that bought out Pillsbury in 2001, addressed labor and supply chain issues in their most recent earnings call, saying that they don't see an end to the ongoing issues any time soon. As well, Pillsbury announced that a price hike might be in the cards for 2022 as inflation continues to balloon and demand outpaces supply (via Market Realist). So it might be time to start thinking of Plan B, like how to make your own at home.