Pantry Buying Is So Hot There Aren’t Enough Cans: Supply Lines

American consumers are still loading up on pantry staples even as the economy opens up, leaving food supply chains tight as companies run at full tilt to keep up with buying.

In fact, demand is so strong there aren’t enough empty cans to pack foods that end up on grocery shelves. That’s according to wholesale food distributor ePallet, which is struggling to find enough containers for the chili and soups it sells to food banks and retailers. Labels to mark the cans are also hard to come by.

“There really is a shortage of product,” said James Kwon, the ...