Chicken Face - © Veronica Bartlett via Pintrest

COVID-19: No Critical Food Shortages, Experts Say

Since the COVID-19 pandemic settled in, folks have been worried about food shortages. But the panic buying that took place during the initial few weeks of the crisis is more or less over now, and what we’re facing is mainly a lack of variety. It’s a small price to pay for food security…

Free Range Chicken - © Chicken - © stewesfreerangeeggs.co.ukWhile Beef and Pork supplies may be temporarily interrupted, it appears that
Chicken will remain available as usual – aside from some short-lived price
spikes. A great time to experiment with Vegetarian foods and recipes!

We previously wrote about some of the measures food producers are taking to meet the challenge of the COVID-19 crisis. And that challenge is largely how to meet a soaring demand at the supermarkets for their products since so many of the country’s restaurants have closed, about 10 percent of them permanently. Grocers report that demand for their wares has skyrocketed 500 percent in the past month as more folks have turned from routine, frequent patronage of restaurants to cooking at home.

A report from Food and Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) says 80 percent of Canadian food manufacturers have stepped up production to try to meet increased demand.

Some makers of basic food items have reduced the variety of foods they are making to keep up with demand for the most popular items. Ital Pasta, for example, has cut its usual line from some 60 types of Pasta to about half a dozen, including Spaghetti, Penne and Lasagna.

But the bottom line is, food producers are meeting the demand.

Some (brief) exceptions to that rule…

Earlier this week, we heard that major Meat packers in Canada and the U.S. have closed down some of their plants after members of their staffs tested positive for COVID-19. Maple Leaf Foods has closed a plant in Ontario, Olymel Foods has closed a Quebec plant and Harmony Beef has closed a plant in Alberta. The producers say it will take about 2 weeks to deep-clean the plants and get them ready to reopen.

But that’s a small inconvenience compared to having no food at all. Can you stand to try another brand, or even try something completely different for a couple of weeks while the issues are being resolved? What a great opportunity to experiment with Vegetarian products and recipes!

Fresh Produce supplies might get tight…

Industry observers say Fresh Fruit and Veggies might become harder to get and cost more this harvest season. Growers rely on seasonal, migrant workers to harvest their crops, and those workers won’t be able to come here this year due to border closures.

Overall…

Economists warn prices of some food products may temporarily spike by as much as 15 percent. But there will be no critical shortage of food.

My take

I can live with reduced variety and the temporary absence of some familiar brand names from the shelves. But I’m grateful to the food growers and producers that they’re taking the necessary measures to ensure that there is no overall shortage of food in Canada. Temporary high prices are a small price to pay for food security…

~ Maggie J.