Food and Beverage Manufacturing Top Stories

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An unprecedented surge in demand has processors working to meet needs while protecting workers and their supply chains.

As food and beverage processors deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they face dual challenges when it comes to training: keeping the current workforce safe and training new employees they’re hiring to meet a sustained, nationwide surge in demand.

Seemingly overnight, the world has been consumed by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Since showing up on the world stage in November 2019 within the Wuhan area of China, the virus has quickly morphed into a global health threat, while disrupting sensitive supply channels.

As hand sanitizer continues to be in short supply during the coronavirus pandemic, a number of distillers are working to fill the gaps.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic offers no threat to the safety of ingredients or finished food and beverage products, as it is a fragile virus that can’t stand up to cooking temperatures or the industry’s already rigid cleaning and sanitation requirements. But the pandemic does present challenges for worker safety, and processors must be proactive in addressing those challenges in an effective way.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a historic impact on business across multiple industries in a very short time, including the cold food and beverage supply chain. We spoke with Lowell Randel, VP, government and legal affairs at the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) for a snapshot of how the cold chain is adjusting to the new norm, and also to dispel certain myths surrounding the country’s food supply and ability to replenish inventory.

While the coronavirus infection continues to spread exponentially, food companies should perform due diligence with suppliers, even though the risk of virus transmission in the supply chain is low.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has food and beverage processors scrambling to ensure their employees are safe, their operations are uninterrupted and their supply chains are intact. Here's a look at how one company is handling the situation.