Social distancing ‘very challenging’ as pork processors keep supplies moving
Pork processors are doing a ‘fantastic job’ of keeping supplies running during these unprecedented times, but social distancing in plants is proving to be a real challenge, according to the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA).
BMPA technical operations director David Lindars described how the swing, almost overnight, from foodservice towards retail had put a huge strain on the system, forcing some businesses that supplied the foodservice trade to close, with the slack taken up elsewhere.
“We are in uncharted territory,” he said. “There is only one place you can sell meat in the UK at the moment, although after the initial surge, the orders have quietened down a bit because the panic buying is more or less done.
“But of three species we cover, the pig processing industry have held their own and done a fantastic job. We are coming back to something nearer normality across all the species. The sheep job has really taken a hammering as the hides and skin market has collapsed. But the pig world is doing alright.”
by Alistair Driver
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