Hälsa CEO Says Hands-On Work Saved Oat Yogurt Business Amid COVID Shutdowns

January 6, 2021 Lawrence Banton, Cheddar

Hälsa Foods, the purveyor of oat-based milk products, is among the many small businesses across America that faced a reckoning this year as coronavirus-related shutdowns destroyed the manufacturing and distribution processes it had worked hard to secure.

Cargill to Reopen Canadian Beef Plant After Coronavirus Outbreak

December 31, 2020 Reuters

Cargill Inc plans to begin reopening its Guelph, Ontario beef processing plant next week on Tuesday, days after it closed the facility due to an outbreak of COVID-19 infections among workers, the company said.

Pandemic Had a Profound Effect on the Way We Eat. Here are 2020’s Biggest Food and Drink Trends, According to Kroger

December 31, 2020 Grace Dean,

What people ate and drank says a lot about what happened that year – and 2020 is no exception. This is reflected in Kroger’s list of the top 10 trending foods and beverages of 2020, which the grocer giant says shows how Americans embraced cooking and eating at home as part of their new routine.

How Produce Farmers are Feeling the Effects of the Pandemic

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many retail stores experienced shortages of certain fruits and vegetables because of the disruptions to farm labor and workers in processing. With major crop losses in lettuce, apples, and grapes, new research estimates up to $48 million in losses during this time.

The Meatpacking Industry in Rural America During the COVID-19 Pandemic

December 29, 2020 USDA ERS

There was increased attention to the meatpacking industry recently as high rates of outbreaks of the coronavirus (COVID-19) caused some meatpacking plants to temporarily shut down. Just over 500,000 people work in the meatpacking industry in the United States.