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.

Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa details the cold chain's historic disruption and opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The transport of food and health/sanitary items such as cleaning supplies and paper towels have placed significant strains on the supply chain. Food distributors have to scrutinize significant preventative measures needed to ensure the health and safety of customers, drivers, and everyone that is in contact with goods that are transported and delivered.

Frozen food sales rose significantly the final week of April, according to new research by the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), 210 Analytics, and IRI. The +50.3% increase was the highest since the height of mid-March stockpiling by consumers, when frozen food sales peaked at +94.4% compared to 2019 sales for the same time period. The +50.3% increase translates to $1.3 billion compared to $442 million in 2019.

This week on our From the Cold Corner podcast, I talk washdown motors for food processing with Regal Beloit’s John Calloway. We also discuss how the IoT (Internet of Things) is creating new efficiencies for motors, and how Regal Beloit is pivoting its business strategy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) announced that its farmer-owners have committed $4 million to a comprehensive COVID-19 relief plan to help its employees, the communities where the company operates, and industry partners respond to and recover from burdens created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the Trump administration considers the evolution of Coronavirus Task Force and states move to reopen, the Consumer Brands Association called on federal leaders to improve interagency coordination and deliver clearer, integrated federal guidance.  Urging stronger interagency cooperation, Consumer Brands called for immediate coordination between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to address public health and worker safety questions, ensure supply chain reliability and respond to operational demands.

Smithfield Foods will resume pork processing operations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after being shut down since April 12. Smithfield receiving positive confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the company is in full compliance with all CDC and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance. 

John Soules Foods donated 168,000 pounds of prepared chicken and beef products to the East Texas Food Bank in its hometown of Tyler, Texas, near Dallas, and an additional 37,400 pounds to the Montgomery County Food Bank in Conroe, Texas, near Houston. 

US Foods has donated more than $10 million in food and supplies to local food banks and charitable organizations across the country since the beginning of March. The donations include items such as meat, dairy, produce and other non-food supplies. Given the impacts of COVID-19, many food banks are struggling to meet the increasing needs of their communities as more Americans seek support. According to Feeding America, school closures, rising unemployment and rising poverty due to stay-at-home orders will disproportionately impact people already at risk of hunger and could result in an estimated additional 17.1 million people experiencing food insecurity.