16 Things That Might Disappear From The Grocery Store

It's not your imagination: Grocery store shelves are getting more and more barren by the minute, thanks to pandemic-related supply factors and the war in Ukraine (via MIT). Although we've already lived through the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of early 2020, other items are rapidly disappearing from store shelves from Anchorage to Atlanta. In addition, staples like chicken, milk, oils, and fruit are skyrocketing in price, causing us to wonder just how much we'll have to shell out for our morning bananas (via Yahoo).

Parade notes that these sad and skimpy store shelves are the culmination of a perfect storm of factors, including supply chain woes and COVID-related personnel problems. Throw in the war in Ukraine messing up the wheat supply, and you have a recipe for disaster, and frankly, not much else (via The New York Times). So which one of your faves should you stock up on ASAP? We've got the breakdown.

One of the major ripple effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine is that wheat and wheat-related products like bread are getting more expensive. According to CBS News, prices of plain old ordinary flour have been going up and up since the war began and are slated to rise over 30% more. Inevitably, the cost will trickle down to customers who could find themselves shocked by the inflated price of their regular loaf of Wonder Bread.

Nicknamed "Europe's breadbasket," Ukraine's uniquely fertile soil produces some of the best wheat on the planet, but farming has been disrupted during the ware with Russia (via Financial Times). To make matters worse, other countries like India are severely cutting back on wheat exports (via Bloomberg). Wheat is one of those things that you might not miss until you don't have it. Prepare for more expensive bread, noodles, crackers, and other doughy delights as long as the war machine is still turning in Ukraine.

While mayo and ketchup are America's first- and second-favorite condiments (via People), mustard is quite popular too. That's what makes it such a shame that this spicy and tangy sauce might go the way of the dodo bird, at least for a little while. According to USA Today, the mustard shortage is climate change-based, a wicked result of bone-dry fields in North America, specifically in Canada. Unfortunately, since mustard farms are being negatively impacted by the drought, commercially-produced mustard might not be able to make it onto your Labor Day hot dog.

The outlook is pretty bleak for 2021-2022, with mustard seed production slashed and seed prices going through the roof. That means that even if you can find your favorite mustard brand on store shelves, it could cost you more than just a little bit extra. If you see a bunch of your favorite mustard in the supermarket, stock up now before it's too late. Fortunately, production could increase next year, which could ease price hikes somewhat.

The ongoing baby formula shortage is a nightmare for new parents, and unfortunately, it doesn't seem to show any signs of easing up soon. According to The Wall Street Journal, popular brands like Gerber and Enfamil are consistently out of stock. As with plenty of food shortages and high-priced staple items, the baby formula shortage is likely a direct result of supply chain hold-ups, making it challenging to get the formula to the stores themselves and get the ingredients needed to make the formula.

Couple these supply chain hiccups with factory shutdowns and product recalls (via American Progress), and you have a genuinely alarming situation. Unfortunately, some parents are taking the formula shortage into their own hands by concocting at-home blends that may not be safe for infants' tummies (via Peoria Journal Star). Although there's not much of an immediate solution to the formula crisis, homemade infant formulas are not a good idea, as they might make your baby sick.

According to Wine Magazine, you could have to wave bye-bye to the bubbly for the time being unless you want to pay quite a bit of money. Prices for sought-after suds like champagne are going up, and as usual, plenty of factors are to blame. The global supply chain screeching to a halt in light of COVID-19 is one of the critical factors. Another problem is that decreased demand in 2020 caused champagne producers to reduce production. When champagne sales went back up, it put a strain on the supply that might continue for several years.

Champagne isn't the only booze that could be getting more expensive. As Metro West Daily News reports, your average beer cost is going up too. Not only are some of the traditional beer-making materials in shorter supply, but aluminum cans are getting more expensive. So soon, having that celebratory TGIF drink could really cost you, whether at the bar or from the grocery store fridge.

Milk is a nearly universal staple in American households, with over 90% of families having it in their fridge (via the Center for Dairy Excellence), so it's a little alarming to know that we're in the middle of a massive milk crisis. According to KWCH, milk has fallen victim to one of the biggest villains of the post-pandemic world: Supply chain problems. Processing and shipping raw milk is really the issue; there's still enough milk being produced by dairy farms, but getting it packaged and delivered to places where it can be sold has become more challenging.

Plant shutdowns at colossal brands like Borden are also affecting the availability of specific milk products (via Dairy Herd). While you'll likely see less variety and pricier half gallons at your local store, people are paying close attention to another side of the milk shortage as well. According to WVUA 23, school kids could have trouble getting those child-sized mini cartons of milk that we all grew up with and loved. Hopefully, the powers that be will get a moo-ve on this shortage soon.

According to Business Insider, the COVID-19 pandemic shook up the meat industry in cataclysmic ways. Supply chain issues account for part of the issue, with the pandemic ripping considerable holes in the infrastructure for the production and distribution of meat products (via SSRN). However, beyond the typical supply chain distress and headache, giant meat factories dealt with rampant COVID-19 infections, which disrupted production. 

Tyson Foods had one such outbreak (via Business Insider), and according to its CEO, prices are consistently high today because of the enormous demand for beef (via Tyson Foods). Whether it's pandemic-related challenges or high demand for meat products or a combination of both, there's no denying that carnivores are feeling the pinch at the supermarket. As Vox notes, it's probably of all of these things, plus inflation, price gouging, and good old-fashioned greed. Maybe it's time for Meatless Mondays to become a trend for frugal and wise American households.

Thanks to supply chain problems, it might be harder to find tampons at your local store (via Time). These essential items are scarcer than ever thanks to issues with both raw materials and shipping (via Cnet). While legacy tampon-producing brands like Proctor and Gamble promise that the flow of tampons won't be halted for too long, it's still bad news for plenty of people who can't find their favorite brand.

According to The New York Times, inflation is another big reason why people are seeing massive price tags on essential period-related products, with the price of tampons increasing 10% in just the first half of 2022. The publication also noted that major stores like Walgreens and CVS recently ran out of some popular brands. Although tampons might be a tricky item to get your hands on, The New York Times warns against trying to prolong the life of your tampon as that could lead to toxic shock syndrome. Pads are a viable alternative in a pinch.

According to Cnet, California's tomato crops could be the next victims of climate change, thanks to an ongoing, catastrophic drought in the Golden State (via Washington Times). As a result, you can expect scarcer selections of tomatoes at your local grocery store, and tomato-based products could be on the chopping block too. Cnet notes that tomato-based sauces and salsas could see a pricing double-whammy, both from the tomato shortage and ongoing inflation woes.

California vastly outperforms all other U.S. states in tomato production (via Statista), and its parched farmland is likely to have massive impacts on the tomato supply for months. According to Taste of Home, you can expect to pay bank for standard, generally cost-effective staples like pasta sauces and condiments. As much as it hurts to break our huge nationwide reliance on tomatoes, it's economical and smart to look elsewhere, swapping out vodka sauce for herbaceous pesto until California's farmland is viable again.