State officials say food supply chain strained amid pandemic, assure food safety
The food supply chain serving Pennsylvanians is feeling the strain of an economic collapse without modern precedent due to closures prompted by COVID-19.
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in a press teleconference last week that the state’s sudden switch to a food system consisting almost entirely of home consumption has created a demand at grocery stores that has put what he called a “tremendous amount of pressure” on the food supply chain.
Demand at food banks has risen as well, Redding observed.
“They’re seeing the same effects, a surge in demand at a time that food is even more difficult to get,” Redding said.
Redding said that the state is coordinating with the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, a statewide trade association consisting of supermarket and convenience store members, to make sure there’s an adequate food supply chain.
“(W)e see the bog down of our supply chain because of the demand as consumers are buying almost all of our groceries in the store,” Redding said. “We’re also seeing an unprecedented climb in the food banks all clamoring for the same items. That’s the pipeline challenge we have of getting stuff on the shelf in the grocery store and stuff on the shelf at the food bank.”
But Redding said state officials don’t see the challenge in keeping store shelves stocked with food getting worse.
“We feel just in the total volume of need that we’ve got sufficient food,” Redding said. “But we’ve got some challenges in distribution.”
Creating the escalating food demand are soaring unemployment numbers in Pennsylvania. There have been more than 1.1 million unemployment claims in Pennsylvania since March 15, state officials said Monday.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported more than 6.6 million initial unemployment insurance claims nationwide for the week ending March 28, easily surpassing the previous record of 3.3 million set the week before.
The Fayette County Community Action Agency is in need of volunteers to help pack food boxes at its warehouse in Republic as the need for food assistance continues to increase.
“We have an amazing team of volunteers who help thousands of families and resident each month through programs like the Food Bank and Meal on Wheels,” FCCAA CEO James Stark said. “At times like these, both the Food Bank and Meals on Wheels are in need for volunteers to help. We definitely need more volunteers.”
The FCCAA Food Bank asks those who face a higher risk for COVID-19 and those who recently traveled out of the country or state to abstain from volunteering. Those 18 or older and in good health who are interested in volunteering can contact the food bank at 724-580-7001 to schedule days and times. The food bank is currently not accepting walk-in volunteers, and the agency said it follows CDC and state Department of Health guidelines to ensure volunteer safety.
One thing that people don’t have to worry about during the COVID-19 pandemic is the safety of their food, Redding and the state food safety officials joining him during the teleconference said.
“I’d like people to understand that our food supply is as safe as we can possibly make it,” Department of Agriculture Food Safety Director Jeff Warner said.
Warner and Department of Agriculture Food Safety Assistant Director Sheri Morris cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance stating that there is no evidence to indicate that food is a route of transmission for COVID-19.
The CDC does recommend washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before preparing or eating food. Because of poor survivability of these novel coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely a very low risk of transmission from food products or packaging, according to CDC.
According to Department of Agriculture officials, grocery stores, food manufacturers and distributors have been provided guidance to protect their workforce and consumers from COVID-19, including CDC and U.S. Food & Drug Administration recommendations to enforce social distancing in lines (including separating customers and employees by six feet whenever possible), implement visual cues like tape on the floor every six feet, and consider limiting the number of people in the store at one time and setting special hours for vulnerable populations such as older and immuno-compromised consumers.
State officials also said other guidance included not allowing symptomatic or ill employees to report for duty, increasing frequency of cleaning and sanitizing of common touch points like door handles, touchscreens and keypads, installing sneeze-guards at cashier stations, providing hand sanitizer at cash registers for staff and customer use and cross-training employees and rotating staff between cashier, stocking and other duties to limit mental fatigue in adhering to social distancing measures.
Warner and Morris said that the Department of Agriculture redeployed the state’s food safety inspectors to resume food safety inspections and offer in-person guidance last week after a pause during the White House’s COVID-19 15-day transmission mitigation initiative. Field staff still responded to complaints and emergencies during that 15-day period, according to Morris.
Redding urged consumers to get groceries once a week or every two weeks and not buy more than is necessary.
“Buying a month’s worth of food makes it hard for our neighbors, food banks and food pantries to get the food they need,” Redding said.