5@5: Plant-based meat sales see biggest growth yet | Meat plants double counties' risk of infection

Plant-based meat sales in the US are up 264% since March

While retail sales overall sank 16.4% from March to April, brands like Tofurky and Beyond Meat are skyrocketing in popularity as large-scale conventional meat production faces some of the biggest challenges in its history. However, analogue meat still lags behind its animal-based competition in terms of market size—the increase in sales amounted to $25.7 million, whereas fresh meat sales saw a $38 billion total increase. Read more at The Verge…

Counties with meat plants see double the infection rates

Areas with meat processing plants contain just 7.5% of the U.S. population, but new data shows that they also account for roughly 10% of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Over 10,000 people have been infected and at least 45 are dead because of virus outbreaks at meatpacking plants. Read more at Modern Farmer…

US food aid program launches with companies scrambling to deliver

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently awarded an event and wedding planning company $39.13 million in an effort to connect farmers with food banks through its Farmers to Families Food Box program. The failure to deliver food in a timely manner has left many American families hungry despite the surplus of farm-fresh goods thanks to the sudden lack of business from restaurants and food service operations. Read more at Reuters…

Why COVID-19 plant shutdowns could make the Big Four meatpackers even more profitable

The four meatpackers that dominate the industry might actually make money off of recent plant closures. This is because the price of live cattle has decreased while the meat products that end up on grocery store shelves have become far pricier. This is also part of the reason why Tyson voluntarily reduced the amount it charges grocery stores for meat in recent days. Read more at The Counter…

Grocery prices are up significantly

During the same period of time that 20 million Americans lost their jobs, consumers also paid 2.6% more for food at grocery stores. Experts project that the unemployment rate may leap to 20%, which means more families will struggle with food insecurity amid rising prices in the near future should food supply chain issues persist. Read more at The Morning Call…