US food and consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble has said it has temporarily halted shipments of its Pringles and Torengos snack brands in North America after the only American plant that makes the snacks was hit by a tornado.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The tornado damaged the roof of the plant in Jackson, Tennessee, while fallen trees and other debris have prevented trucks from moving to and from the plant, reported Reuters.
Tonia Hyatt, a spokeswoman for Procter & Gamble, would not say when shipments of the snacks would resume or how much inventory was in the supply chain.
According to an estimate by an analyst at Lehman Brothers, there is a six-week supply of Pringles in the distribution pipeline, but some merchandisers, including Wal-Mart Stores, may carry less inventory.
“We’re still assessing the damage to the plant and what it will take to get it back to full operations,” Hyatt told Reuters.
None of the 200 employees working at the plant were injured when the tornado hit. A total of 1,200 people are employed by the plant.
At least 38 people lost their lives when a series of tornadoes hit the US states of Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee on Sunday.
