Current status of grocery supply chain

THURSDAY. JASON: WE AMERICANS BEGAN IT UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF THIS OUTBREAK THE FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO MAKE THE RUN TO THE GROCERY STOREMENT JOINING US IS A FOOD INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LESLIE SORENSON. I KNOW THIS MUST HAVE BEEN A TIME FOR YOU AND RETAILER >> IT HAS BEEN A TAME THAT IS FOR SURE. JASON: WHAT DO YOU THINK, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM STORES AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN MAKING SURE THEY HAVE ENOUGH FOR AMERICANS WHO ARE MAKING THE DRIVE IT THE STORE. >> WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM STORES IS THEY ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN IT MAKE AS MANY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AS THEY CAN AND TRYING IT MEET THEIR COMMUNITIES’ NEEDS. THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE THEIR FACILITIES RUNNING 24-7 TO MAKE AS MUCH PRODUCT AS THEY CAN. THEY ARE LIMITING THE NUMBERS AND TYPES OF PRODUCTS THAT THEY ARE DOING SO THEY CAN FOCUS AND GET MORE PRODUCTION OUT BY NOT CHANGING TO DIFFERENT PACK SIZES AND PERHAPS DIFFERENT FLAVORS AND THAT SORT OF THING. WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE AWE MEET SKRPL NEEDS FEEL JASON: WE SAW CROWINGER ADDING THOUSANDS OF NEW EMPLOYEES. IS THIS SOMETHING WE WILL SEE AS YOU TRY IT KEEP UP WITH DEMAND? >> I THINK IT IS SOMETHING WE WILL SEE AND BECAUSE SOME INDUSTRIES ARE NOT WORKING AS MUCH THESE DAYS IT IS A GOOD TIME TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT BUT ALSO IT MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR CUSTOMERS BY IDEAING THE TEAMS OF PEOPLE WITH — BY ADDING THE TEAMS OF PEOPLE. JASON: IS THIS SOMETHING YOU GA MACPLAN FOR? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN D DO? >> IT IS DIFFICULT TO PLAN FOR SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE. WE ARE PREPARED FOR NORMAL DISASTERS AND OTHER TYPES OF THINGS WE EXPERIENCE. BUT THIS IS UNDEPREPRESS DENIED UNCOMPREHENSIVED AND THAT IS WHY IT IS TAKING TIME. IT IS MORE OF A DEMAN CHALLENGE THAN A SPLAY — SUPPLY CHALLENGE. IF THE SHOP, WILL BY WHAT THEY NEED THE NEXT FEW DAYS OR WELCOME RATHER THAN WHAT THE M MIGHT NEED I THINK AWAY CAN IMMEDIATE EVERYONE HE IS NEEDS JASON: THE ITEMS YOU ARE SEEING COME,SO QUICKLY IN MARYLAND WE HAVE SEEN TOILET PAPER AND MILK ANDEST LIKE A SNOWSTORM. IS THERE A REASSURANCE IT THESE THINGS WILL COME BACK IN STOCK? >> THEY WILL. AND IF WE’LL NOT BY AMERICAN — MORE THAN WE NEED THERE WILL BE ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. WE JUST NEED TO BE MORE PATIENT TAN AWAY FORMALLY — THAN WE NORMALLY ARE. JASON: ONE MORE FOR YOU. WHERE CAN FOLKS GO FOR INFORMATION IF THEY WANT TO LEARN HOW THIS COMPANIES TOGETHER WITH THE FOOD INDUSTRY AND GROCERY STORES? >> ABSOLUTELY. THEY CAN GO IT OR WEB SITE WHICH IS SMI.ORG/CORONAVIRUS AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIND ALL THE INFORMATION THEY MIGHT NEED IT UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE TRYING IT MEET T

Current status of grocery supply chain

Updated: 9:37 AM EDT Mar 20, 2020

When Americans began to understand the scope of the coronavirus outbreak, one of their first thoughts was to make a desperate run to the grocery store.Food Industry Association President and CEO Leslie Sarasin answers questions about the supply chain and the country’s grocery stores.

When Americans began to understand the scope of the coronavirus outbreak, one of their first thoughts was to make a desperate run to the grocery store.

Food Industry Association President and CEO Leslie Sarasin answers questions about the supply chain and the country’s grocery stores.