Two topics of interest to average people appear in headlines. The first is a report the food manufacturing industry might run out of PPE; the second is a remarkable shift by WalMart for shoppers in a new response to COVID-19.
First, there’s a hyped-up report about the food manufacturing industry possibly facing a shortage of gloves and masks as the nationwide PPE shortage continues. [SEE HERE]
However, there is nothing to be alarmed about in that report.
“I want to assure you that our food supply chain is sound,” Sonny Perdue, the secretary of agriculture, said on March 20.
That, however, could change if the people who make, package and deliver food lack personal protective equipment, or PPE, including face masks and gloves, according to the internal document shared with Yahoo News. (Link)
The three common PPE needs in food processing are: (1) hair restraints; (2) masks, and (3) gloves. All food manufacturing and processing is regulated and inspected by the FDA and USDA. The issues of mask and glove shortages are not critical within the industry. Under the current National Emergency guidelines the USDA can modify regulations to keep the food supply-chain flowing without any health risk at all.



