FDA Provides Flexibility to the Food Industry to Support Food Supply Chain and Meet Consumer Demand During COVID-19

FDA Provides Flexibility to the Food Industry to Support Food Supply Chain and Meet Consumer Demand During COVID-19 | FDA

By: Susan Mayne, Ph.D., Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

During these turbulent times of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, our daily lives have changed, and consumers are understandably worried about what kind of, and how much food is available to feed themselves and their families. We have no nationwide shortages of food, thankfully, but we are seeing a shift in demand for certain foods and other goods that are leading, at times, to temporary shortages on supermarket shelves and other places where consumers shop. The reasons for this shift are varied. Restaurants may be closed or limited to take-out or delivery only, schools and hotels are closed, and many of us are cooking more at home. This has resulted in an imbalance in the food supply chain with excess quantities of food typically supplied to restaurants and other food service establishments and increased demand for food supplied to supermarkets.