For the second time in as many years, FE’s annual Food Automation and Manufacturing Conference was held quite successfully on line—rather than in person—due to the persistent COVID-19 pandemic.

Supply chain challenges are a constant source of stress for food and beverage processors, as disruptions can upend production schedules and plant operations.

Recent trends caused mostly by the COVID-19 pandemic have put the squeeze on food processors and the supply chain to get food where it needs to go. Now as some states and cities are “opening up,” restaurants and other food service establishments are beginning to see their business increasing, which will mean a gradual shift in the supply chain—something that most processors and logistics providers will be able to handle, compared to a year ago when supply chains broke everywhere.

A look at how supply chains have been disrupted and affected by the ongoing pandemic, and what processors need to know to adapt.

When Inter-County Bakery Supply, a family-owned bakery supply distributor in Deer Park, N.Y., needed to modernize its process and automate its capabilities, they decided an ERP solution from VAI that would offer the most bang for their buck.

A new study from Resilience360 indicates that COVID-19 has revealed weak links in the supply chain, and they may not be going away any time soon.

The e-commerce revolution has not only changed the rules for consumer packaged goods companies, it has created a whole new game in which the new coronavirus has only cemented the need for brands to adapt.