We're inching closer to a meat shortage

Retailers should expect to face significant meat shortages in about two weeks, as cold-storage supplies simply cannot fulfill consumer demand amid slaughterhouse shutdowns due to COVID-19. As a result, meat prices are surging on the retail end while farmers are being paid signifcantly less for animals. Read more at L.A. Times…

House set to pass new stimulus with plans to dole out more aid for small businesses, hospitals

Lawmakers and the Trump administration are already working on the next round of stimulus to sustain the stalled U.S. economy. The new legislation, which passed the Senate earlier this week, includes $320 billion for the depleted Paycheck Protection Program in an effort to support small businesses and their employees. Read more at Bloomberg…

Asia pivots toward plants for protein as coronavirus stirs meat safety fears

Quarantined consumers in Asia, in particular mainland China and Hong Kong, are buying up plant-based meat alternatives as fears over COVID-19's animal origin spreads. Selling particularly well are Beyond burgers, a pork substitute called Omnipork, plant-based chicken nuggets and nondairy milk. Read more at Reuters…

How to sustain a produce industry lifeline

The produce industry has been working hard to offer consumers directly the produce that would have been sold to food service operations or restaurants; however, this may not be enough to prevent a long-lasting impact on the nation's food supply chain. Farmers have thus far kept planting in the hopes that the pandemic will have eased up by the time they are harvested. Read more at The Hill… 

7-Eleven pop-up store serves up groceries to Dallas hospital

7-Eleven has opened its first pop-up store in a hospital in Dallas to serve staff, patients and their families. The retailer is also delivering items to hospital workers at two other nearby locations for free through its app, 7NOW. Read more at Supermarket News…