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The Consumer Brands Association is launching the Critical Infrastructure Supply Chain Council (CISCC), a coordinated effort of more than 35 trade associations committed to addressing both long- and short-term supply chain challenges and weaknesses, including those made apparent by the coronavirus pandemic.

Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods, announced it will resume limited production at its Waterloo, Iowa, facility on Thursday, May 7. Team members have been invited to tour the facility Wednesday to view the enhanced safety precautions and protective social distancing measures installed throughout the plant.

Carrier Transicold is providing a Model 35X direct-drive refrigeration unit to Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan. The unit will be used to support the School Food Mobile program, which delivers food and milk to school-aged children who are not receiving meals at school due to coronavirus-related closures. Separately, Carrier Transicold is donating a Supra 950 truck refrigeration unit for a new 28-foot box truck that will support Gleaners’ expanded emergency response efforts, including 66 new drive-up food distribution sites, modeled after Gleaners’ School Food Mobile program. 

I read the recent quarterly reports from Tyson and Sysco (Q2, and Q3, respectively) and both reflect the deep impact of restaurant, hotel, catering and other volume foodservice shutdowns on each of their businesses (and by extension, the cold foods supply chain) due to COVID-19. Here are my thoughts on the future of foodservice and what companies along the cold chain can do prepare for it. 

Recently, 100 volunteers from Bellisio Foods, the largest employer in Jackson County, shared more than 90,000 meals from drive-through distribution centers at Oak Hill High School, Jackson High School and Vinton County High School. A total of more than 2,500 vehicles each received two cases (or 36 meals), bringing the total number of meals donated to Southern Ohioans by Bellisio Foods in the past month to more than 175,000.

Sysco Corporation announced the launch of a new “Foodservice Doesn’t Brake for Adversity” campaign designed to help small foodservice businesses stay in business. The campaign will consist of strategically placed messages across multiple channels designed to encourage Americans to support their local restaurants and also highlights the resilience of all foodservice workers.

This week on our From the Cold Corner podcast, I spoke with Josh Knott, president of the Refrigerated Foods Association (RFA) and Knott's Fine Foods in Paris, Tennessee. We discussed worker safety, supply chain slowdowns due to COVID-19 precautions, and how panic buying and fear of perceived food shortages by consumers can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

To date, three plants have experienced at least one confirmed positive COVID-19 case among their teams. At each of the affected plants, George's immediately implemented COVID-19 response plan actions, making sure that all health, safety, and sanitation measures were implemented, including deep cleaning procedures and notification of any coworkers who had possible close contact with these individuals. The approach, and the practices  adopted, follow the guidance issued by the CDC and utilize the hierarchy of controls.

Cooper Farms is working to provide food and resources to their fellow Ohioans. The farm and food company, located in western Ohio, has made several donations over the past month, providing over 21,000 protein-rich meals, including nearly 6,000 pounds of turkey and 27,000 dozen eggs to the Ohio Association of Food Banks in a series of deliveries from the turkey, pork and egg company. An additional 1,100 pounds of turkey burgers were donated to area groups providing socially distanced serving of hot lunches for children and meals after virtual church services.

Borden Cheese donated 48,000 units of its Borden Cheese Crisps ‘n Cubes snack trays to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, which is part of the national Feeding America network. The donation, which was delivered to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in Nashville, Tennessee, will be distributed to hungry adults and children in 46 counties across the state. Additionally, a portion of the donated product will go to essential health care workers on the front lines at Nashville General Hospital.