Del Monte Foods Data Breach Exposed Social Security Numbers

Del Monte Foods Corp. II Inc., an American food production and distribution company headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, disclosed a data breach that exposed sensitive personal information.

On Feb. 9, 2026, Del Monte detected an issue impacting network operability and initiated an investigation into the matter.

The investigation determined that certain files had been acquired from the company's systems without authorization. A comprehensive review of those files followed.

On or about Aug. 20, 2026, Del Monte learned that personal information was contained in the compromised data.

On March 31, 2026, while Del Monte's investigation was still underway, a ransomware group known as Payouts King claimed responsibility for the attack in a posting on the Tor dark web network. The group claimed it had obtained 1.2 terabytes of Del Monte's internal data.

The compromised information reportedly included confidential corporate correspondence, executives' full mailbox backups, employee and executive personally identifiable information, legal data including litigation records and complaints, and highly confidential corporate documents such as board of directors meeting records, investor proposals, audits and project files. The group intended to publish the data within seven to eight days.

The types of consumer information confirmed to have been exposed in this breach included names, Social Security numbers, government identification numbers, financial account codes, credit and debit account information and health records.

The breach was disclosed to the attorneys general offices of California, Massachusetts and Vermont on Oct. 29, 2026. Del Monte began notifying affected consumers in late October 2026.

Del Monte Foods' response to the breach

Del Monte is offering affected individuals complimentary identity protection services through Kroll. Affected individuals received a unique enrollment code in their notification letter, and there is a deadline to activate these services.

Individuals who wish to enroll can do so by visiting Kroll's enrollment page or by calling 844-971-8616, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Central Time.