FRESH MEAT SHELVES ARE COMPLETELY EMPTY (USA, 2020)
Unexpectedly, fresh produce like meat became exponentially scarce as the pandemic progressed.
Due to supply challenges we will have to temporarily limit the following:
ALL Beef, Pork & Poultry
Limit 3 TOTAL per Member. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Unexpectedly, fresh produce like meat became exponentially scarce as the pandemic progressed.
Consumer psychology played a part in amplifying the shortage on supermarket shelves.
A flock mentality develops when people see a scarcity of products, magnified by the traditional media making consumers buy more food than they need.
For some commodities a handful of countries, or even fewer, make up the worlds bulk export supplies. Disruptions to those productions and shipments would have major global ramifications.
As the pandemic advanced and countries across the globe imposed lockdowns closing borders, fears of the effects of these constrains on availability and prices of produce arose amongst consumers.
Dairy farmers forced to dump milk as demand from the food services drops. controversially Grocery stores across the world have set purchase limits for milk unable to supply to feed the demand.
Slaughterhouses across the United States have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks, which have led to temporary plant closures.
The closures have created a glut of pigs in the supply chain.
27 MARCH 2020
RUSSIA, THE LARGEST EXPORTER OF WHEAT, IMPLEMENTED A PERMANENT GRAIN EXPORT QUOTA IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS DRIVEN FEAR OF FOOD SHORTAGES.
Another consequence of pandemic is more packaging waste. Contrary consumer high demand for packaged foods and water bottles has caused recycling plastic shortages.
Limits on the mobility of people across borders and lock-downs contributed to labor shortages for agricultural & food processing sectors in many countries, particularly those characterized by periods of peak seasonal labor demand or labor-intensive production.
As pandemic caused production and logistical delays rose, benefitS from MAP packaging becomes more vital in the fresh produce supply chain as it hardenS logistics issues by prolonging the shelf life of fresh produce.
Despite its importance in COVID-19 fight plastic demand has dropped significantly as fewer vehicles and home devices been produced making its price rise.
CO2 is critical component used in MAP packaging AND FOOD PROCESSING. Coronavirus driven CO2 shortage threatens worlds food supply.
Used as colour stabiliser to maintain the typical red colour of fresh meat when the gas mixture is applied to the package.
Dear Vice President Pence:
Representing thousands of American workers across all 50 states that ensure the reliability of our Nation’s food supply, we write to express our strong concern that the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic creates a significant risk of a shortage in carbon dioxide (CO2) that would significantly impact access to essential food and beverage supplies and other essential sectors of the U.S. economy.
Used to displace oxygen, as filler gas preventing pack from collapsing, offering cushioning to the product and preventing crispy food from going stale.
Used for fresh produce respiring Level usually reduced to 5% depending on the product.
Ethanol is an alcohol produced by fermentation of the starch and sugars in corn, sugar cane, and sugar beets. Corn is the main feedstock for fuel ethanol in the US because of its abundance and low price.
As CO2 is a by-product of ethanol production the main reason for shortages, is a ramping down of ethanol production.
April 7: Today, Poet Biofuels, the world’s largest biofuel producer, joins dozens of other American producers that have been forced to take plants offline. The facility has struggled in recent months to obtain adequate supplies of corn.
BIOFUEL demand has plummeted as more drivers stay home in response to COVID-19. half OF the biofuels producers were forced offline, sending shockwaves through the entire agricultural supply chain.
JOINT PRESS RELEASE FTA EUROPE & INTERGRAF
18 MARCH 2020
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
We urgently call on European and national authorities to secure the supply of ethanol alcohol for the continuous production of food packaging.
Global shortage of ethanol effecting solvents and printing inks manufacturing as ethanol is a vital raw material for printing inks used for Flexible Food Packaging and labeling, a vital part of the food supply chain.
The evaporation of fuel demand due to COVID-19 has been a knock-out blow to biofuel plants across the world. Forcing closure of half of the US ethanol producing plants.
On 20 April 2020 the oil price made history. The US benchmark oil contract – known as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) – ended the day at -$37/barrel, entering negative territory for the first time. So much oil was available, with so little demand for it from a global economy in lockdown, and barely any space left to store it, that producers and traders had to pay buyers to take it off their hands.
Crash of oil market had drastic effect on other industries, including raw materials like ethanol.
Lockdown measures put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 represent an unprecedented shock to global oil demand. With countries on lockdown there is significantly less of all activity, and the demand for oil and gas has fallen spectacularly.
Despite lower demand, Russia and Saudi Arabia continued oil production with same rate creating the surplus stocks and lowering the price leading to market crush.