Maybe It's Time for a Revolt in This Country so We Can Get Back to the Lifestyles We've Worked so Hard to Achieve

A Kroger spokesperson said that “there is plenty of protein in the supply chain. However, some processors are experiencing challenges.” Some meat plants have faced temporary closures due to outbreaks of the Wuhan virus, but Kroger reassured people, saying, “We feel good about our ability to maintain a broad assortment of meat and seafood for our customers because we purchase protein from a diverse network of suppliers.”

CNN reported that “meat sales are up around 40% in recent weeks, according to data shared by grocery industry trade group FMI.” Add that to the occasional disruption to the supply chains, and you have an unfamiliar sight in America’s grocery stores: Shelves that aren’t always brimming with fresh product.

President Trump signed an executive order last Tuesday requiring meat plants to stay open during the crisis, but that doesn’t mean we won’t suffer future disruptions. The day before, Tyson Meats had taken out an ad in the Washington Post warning that “the food chain is breaking.” Our managing editor Paula Bolyard told me this morning that her Cleveland-area son is “scrambling to find beef for his Jersey Mike’s store,” because “their supplier is closed due to COVID-19.” She wonders if the situation at Jersey Mike’s is just “the tip of the iceberg.”

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