Agencies
A system failure caused by unauthorized access to major Japanese frozen food maker Nichirei Corp has begun disrupting supply chains, with some restaurants and retailers telling customers certain items are out of stock as of Wednesday.
“We are continuing our investigation,” a Nichirei public relations official said, after the incident began affecting the company’s frozen food shipments and inbound and outbound operations at refrigerated warehouses.
The company, which has around 5,000 business clients, announced the system failure on Monday. It said it would gradually restart operations from Friday, but did not disclose when it expects to return to full functionality.
Nichirei also reported the possibility of a personal data breach, but did not elaborate further.On Tuesday, Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan Ltd, which outsources deliveries of ingredients to Nichirei, said it may temporarily close some stores and that some items on its menu could become unavailable.
The fast-food chain did not specify which of its more than 1,300 stores nationwide might close, saying the situation would remain “fluid” from Wednesday onward and that it was also considering shortening business hours.
The company has also temporarily suspended orders through its official app and website.Major sushi chain operator Kura Sushi Inc. said Wednesday that deliveries of some sushi ingredients and other frozen foods had been disrupted, with some shipments failing to arrive.
Stock shortages have also been reported at supermarkets operated by subsidiaries of retail giant Aeon Co.