Coca-Cola Says Cyberattack Temporarily Stops Fairlife Milk Production in the U.S.

What Happened?

The Coca-Cola Company announced that a cyberattack has forced it to temporarily stop making Fairlife milk in the United States.

• Fairlife is a milk brand based in Chicago.
• Coca-Cola owns Fairlife.
• The stop is temporary, meaning they plan to start again later.

How Did the Attack Work?

Coca-Cola explained in a statement that someone who was not allowed to be there got into Fairlife’s computer systems that run the production (making) of milk.

• This kind of event is believed to be a "ransomware event."
• Ransomware is a type of bad computer program where hackers lock or mess up a company’s systems and often ask for money to give them back.
• The company does not yet know exactly when the break-in happened.

What Did Coca-Cola Do About It?

As soon as Coca-Cola noticed the problem, it took several steps:

1. Started investigating what happened.
2. Brought in outside computer security helpers (external cybersecurity experts).
3. Told the police (law enforcement).

What Is the Impact?

Here is what Coca-Cola has shared so far:

• The full details of what was affected are not yet known.
• The milk and other products are still safe to drink and good quality.
• Making Fairlife products in the U.S. is paused for now.
• Fairlife operations in Canada are working normally.
• Coca-Cola is working hard to finish the investigation and turn the systems back on.

Important: The breach did NOT affect product quality or safety. Only U.S. production is temporarily stopped.

A Few Background Facts

• Coca-Cola bought Fairlife from Select Milk Producers in 2020 for about $7 billion.
• Fairlife sells milk and protein shakes.
• Fairlife makes more than $3 billion in sales every year.
• It is one of Coca-Cola’s 200 brands across drinks like sodas, water, coffee, tea, juices, and alcohol.

Summary

A cyberattack—likely ransomware—hit Fairlife’s production systems in the U.S., so Coca-Cola paused making Fairlife milk and shakes there. The company is investigating with experts and police, Canadian operations are fine, and products already made are safe. Coca-Cola hopes to restore everything soon.

FAQ

What is Fairlife?
Fairlife is a Chicago-based brand that makes milk and protein shakes. Coca-Cola owns it.

Is Fairlife milk safe to drink?
Yes. Coca-Cola says the cyberattack did not affect the quality or safety of its products.

Will I still find Fairlife in stores?
Coca-Cola says U.S. production is temporarily stopped, but it is working to fix systems. Canada is still operating normally.

What does "ransomware" mean?
It is a kind of bad software where hackers break into systems and may demand money to release them.