Stockpiling of Food is Back, Here’s What You Can Do to Help
Shoppers are stockpiling food again, this time to prepare for winter, but now manufacturers are ready. Are you? Here’s what you can do.
Is it just me, or does it feel like we’re stuck in the movie Groundhog Day? A mere seven months ago, millions of Americans cleared out entire supermarkets of just about every shelf-stable food there is, along with paper items such as paper towels and toilet paper as well as disinfectants. And some items–like rubbing alcohol–have yet to make a return, such as at Mama Leite’s Stop & Shop.
According to an article on Bloomberg.com, we’re at it again. The only difference this time is food manufacturers are preparing. Companies like General Mills, Campbell Soup, and Stonyfield Farms are amping up production in an effort not to get caught short, as they did in spring.
What’s in greatest demand? Baking ingredients. In October, the demand skyrocketed an astronomical 3,400% as compared to October 2019. Similar to the run on products in springtime, the current demand is being fueled by the fear of a long season of lockdowns, or at the very least restrictions, due to COVID-19.
Companies are scrambling to stock up on items for Thanksgiving, but some supermarkets are saying it’s still hard to find cleaning wipes and sprays, something hosts and hostesses will want to arm themselves with. Flour, too, is back on the endangered list.
And the baking-supply shortages are starting to hit close to home. Yesterday, Jack Van Amburg, our Operations Manager, found shelves bereft of 25-pound bags of flour in California, and The One had a similar problem in Connecticut.
What does all this mean for you? Shop early and shop smart. Carefully plan your Thanksgiving menu and all meals beyond. If you know exactly what you’ll need for the next few months, you can resist the impulse to hoard, which only makes it harder for others to plan.
Also, think of family and friends who, due to illness or age, can’t shop for themselves and make sure they’re supplied.
We’ll get through this together–again–and may your carefully meted-out cakes, pies, pastries, and breads bring you holiday happiness.
from Leite's Culinaria https://ift.tt/37Zbbnh https://ift.tt/321YZOH
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