It’s hard to know what news is true and what isn’t when we’re in the midst of a pandemic, but rumors have been flying for a while that the nation might be facing a meat shortage, due to the closure of meat processing plants where workers have been getting sick and are thus unable to work. Now, two major chains have confirmed that they’re going to be placing limits on how much meat customers can buy when they go shopping, turning this rumor into a reality.
Kroger and Costco both have new policies in place that will limit how much meat customers can buy when they go to the store.
At Kroger, the policy will only affect select stores, so you’ll need to check with your local supermarket to see what their rules are. Generally, they say that some stores will limit how many fresh pork and ground beef products customers are allowed to buy per grocery trip.
The store says that there is “plenty of protein in the supply chain” and they don’t plan on running out, but that the purchase limits will help them keep shelves stocked while “some processors are experiencing challenges.”
Costco is limiting meat purchases more broadly. According to the Covid Updates section of their website, customers at all Costco stores will be limited to purchasing three fresh meat items per trip from the selection of beef, pork and poultry at the store. (Maybe now is a good time to treat yourself to some shrimp, lobster and bison instead of the staple meats you usually stock up on!)
So, how nervous should you really be about running out of meat?
That depends on whom you ask. Luckily, there’s a lot of frozen meat in the supply chain that can continue to be delivered to grocery stores. Frozen chicken reserves are actually up, though beef and pork have both seen drops.
However, some are warning that as the pandemic continues, further work stoppages could lead to more shortages.
What can you do? Be smart about your meat purchases. Buy in bulk when you can, and use meat more sparingly. In fact, implementing meatless Monday sounds like a great idea right about now.
Get inspired by our gallery of vegetarian recipes so filling you won’t miss the meat below!
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