What does the new normal look like, and when does it become the new normal?” That’s a question that could apply to any number issues around the world right now, but it was rhetorically asked by Jeff Rumachik, EVP & COO of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) on a recent From the Cold Corner Podcast. Rumachik is referring to COVID-19’s impact into every aspect of the cold chain in 2020.
The cold foods industry and its supply chain are still recovering from the one-two punch of consumer stockpiling in March and April which emptied store shelves like the ones you see on the cover of this issue, and the shutdown of restaurants, bars, hotels, catering, and other volume foodservice venues, which ground approximately one-third of the country’s food supply to a halt, throwing logistics into chaos.