Coca‑Cola Temporarily Halts Fairlife Dairy Operations Following Ransomware Incident

Coca‑Cola has temporarily halted operations at its Fairlife dairy business in the United States following a ransomware incident.

In a statement released shortly after 4 p.m. EDT on July 16, Coca‑Cola confirmed that it detected unauthorized access to a portion of its network, encompassing production‑related systems, by a third‑party actor.

The company has not identified the ransomware group responsible and has not indicated when operations may resume.

“The full scope, nature, and impact of the incident remain unknown,” the US beverage company said.

Coca‑Cola said it has launched an investigation, engaged outside advisors and cybersecurity experts, and notified law‑enforcement authorities.

It also reassured consumers that product quality and safety have not been affected.

Coca‑Cola added that its Canadian operations remain unaffected.

Fairlife was founded in 2012 by Mike and Sue McCloskey through a partnership between Coca‑Cola and the dairy cooperative Select Milk Producers, which the McCloskey family founded in 1994.

Coca‑Cola acquired full ownership of Fairlife in 2020.

Through Fairlife, the company markets ultra‑filtered fresh milk beverages, a range of flavored milk products such as its Yup line, and protein shakes branded Core Power.

In March, Coca‑Cola announced a $650 million investment to add new production lines at its Fairlife plant in Coopersville, Michigan.

Commercial production from the new lines is slated to commence in 2028.

At the same time, the company said it would begin production later this year at a new Fairlife facility in New York state.

Coca‑Cola also operates another Fairlife site in Goodyear, Arizona.

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