Local Shortage Of Reddi-Wip Expected This Christmas Season

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Just when your holiday pies, cakes, sundaes need a dollop of whipped cream, ConAgra -- that makes Reddi-Wip-- says there's a shortage in the super market.

"There is a limited supply of Reddi-Wip this year. This is not due to a ConAgra-related issue. There's actually an industry-wide shortage of nitrous oxide that powers the Reddi-Wip can," Lanie Friedman, director of brand communication, told KDKA money editor Jon Delano on Friday.

An August explosion at a plant near Pensacola, Florida, owned by AirGas affected the supply of nitrous oxide, the propellant for Reddi-Wip.

Nitrous oxide is also used as a mild anesthetic for dentistry and surgery.

AirGas acknowledged the shortage, saying, " Serving our medical customers is our first priority in this situation. We are providing reduced product quantities to customers in the food industry until supply has stabilized."

Local grocery stores say Reddi-Wip is available but not plentiful, as confirmed by Rick Zaharko, the dairy manager at Kuhn's.

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Delano: "Is there a shortage of Reddi-Wip?"

Zaharko: "Yes, there is. I'm not getting everything I'm ordering, but I'm getting some."

Diana Harris of Greentree grabbed a can for Christmas because she had heard about the shortage.

Harris: "I did hear that the other day."

Delano: "So are you stocking up?"

Harris: "I am, yes. Yes I am."

Whipped cream is good with almost any food, but some have other uses.

"My family really likes to use the Reddi-Wip for that game – pie-in-the-face. I was coming here to get some for Christmas, Christmas eve," said Emily Davidson of Dormont.

Well, each to his own.

The good news is there are substitutes for Reddi-Wip, like Cool-Whip.

And there's the old-fashioned way – take real cream, an egg beater, and a little bit of sugar.

As shortages go, at least this one has alternatives.