Grocery items in short supply: Butter, beer and many other items could get harder to find
With pandemic related supply shortages worsened by a variety of other factors, people in the US are going to be faced with shortages of many grocery items.
Ahead of the festive season, department stores and shoppers in the US are having to contend with some grim news. As per a report by CNET,there is a wide gamut of grocery staples which would be seeing supply shortages. These are as follows:
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Beer
A Mississippi reservoir’s contamination has led to a carbon dioxide shortage in the US. This is impacting breweries across the country, since CO2 is an essential ingredient of beer. While CO2 prices are going up, there are also breweries which are planning to start using nitrogen to offset this supply issue.
More under this adMore under this adButter
With fall and winter being the unofficial baking seasons, the possibility of a butter shortage is a definite holiday dampener. Butter shortages are being caused due to lower than usual milk production this year. This has already caused the price of butter to rise.
Baby formula
There was a major baby formula shortage in the US earlier after the temporary closing of a Sturgis Michigan plant by Abbott Nutrition. The issue was somewhat resolved after the reopening of the factory in June, but it has had to be closed again due to flooding.
Tampons
Procter & Gamble, one of the largest manufacturers of tampons said in April that sourcing and transportation of materials needed for tampons have been very costly, affecting tampon production.
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Bread
The situation between Russia and Ukraine has affected the world wheat supply deeply, since both the countries were giant wheat suppliers, making up about 30% of the world’s total wheat supply. Prices of wheat continue to be affected in the world market due to the crisis.
More under this adMore under this adKetchup and Halloween candy
As per the CNET report, even ketchup supply is going to be affected by the severe drought in California, while Halloween candies this year might be harder to find due to issues with cocoa and milk supplies.
Sources used:
CNET: ‘ Grocery Shortages: Butter Will Be Harder to Find, but That's Not All’
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