Restaurants are transforming into grocery stores to survive the pandemic

The restaurant industry has been dealt a serious blow by COVID-19, but some establishments are finding creative ways to stay open. For instance, there has been a trend among several small restaurant chains of turning currently unused dining rooms into supermarkets that sell sought-after products including eggs, flour and toilet paper. Read more at Civil Eats…

The meat we eat is a pandemic risk, too

Experts have warned for years that most novel infectious diseases come from animals, and large-scale animal agriculture significantly increases the risk of them occuring. But would U.S. consumers willingly curb their meat intake if it meant less chance of an outbreak? Likely not. But there are alternative ways to raise livestock that may even improve the environment. Read more at Vox… 

Coronavirus unmasks Amazon's stumbles at Whole Foods

Whole Foods has been inundated with grocery delivery orders from Amazon Prime subscribers, and even after converting several stores into fulfillment centers (or "dark stores") the company is still struggling to meet demand. Amazon said that the current delivery setbacks are a result of a spike in demand coupled with social distancing restraints in its stores. Read more at Reuters…

How poor diet contributes to coronavirus risk

Diet is inextricably tied to immunity, which is why some doctors are pointing out that diet-related conditions such as "the metabolic syndrome" can increase one's risk of suffering serious complications from the virus. This information comes as Americans increasingly turn to comfort foods that are high in sugar and fat to cope with quarantine. Read more at The New York Times…

Grocers hunt for meat as coronavirus hobbles beef and pork plants

Following several meat packing plant closures, retailers are worried that supplies will fall short as stockpiling consumers haven't slowed down on buying up all the meat they can find. Meat inventories are expected to become noticeably tight within the next two weeks, but chains such as Walmart are buying more products originally produced for food service and restaurant operations. Read more at The Wall Street Journal…