The attack was first identified in the JBS plant in Austalia, the largest beef and lamb packer in the country.
It quickly spread over the weekend to the United States and Canada.
The FBI is investigating, the Biden administration said.
The hackers are believed to be criminals in Russia who demanded ransom to provide the keys to restoring computer operations.
A similar ransom demand followed after hackers disrupted an oil delivery network serving much of the Eastern United States. In that case a ransom was paid.
