COVID-19 Coverage: How the Cold Chain Adjusted Early to the Coronavirus Pandemic
In this exclusive excerpt from Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ From the Cold Corner podcast, Lowell Randel from the GCCA details how the cold chain pivoted to meet retail demands and protect workers during the crucial early days of COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on the cold food supply chain in just a few months, forcing it to re-direct its foodservice inventory away from shuttered restaurants, bars, hotels, and other volume F&B clients, and toward unprecedented demand for retail refrigerated and frozen foods. Some estimates say 30% of the nation’s food supply is destined for volume foodservice, so the shift in the supply chain has been seismic.
While recent statistics show retail sales of cold foods are still very high compared to last year, the panic buying fueling demand and emptying store shelves in early March has leveled off. During that initial chaotic time in the supply chain, I spoke with Lowell Randel, VP, government & legal affairs at the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) for an episode of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ From the Cold Corner podcast.