"During the pandemic, these operations have had to implement social distancing protocols and they're not really built for that and it has impacted production."
And as the pandemic continues, many food industry workers are opting not to return to their low-wage jobs at all.Transportation problemsAn ongoing shortage of truckers continues to slow down the supply chain and the ability of grocery stores to replenish their shelves quickly.The shortages have also made buying food increasingly more expensive going into 2022.
Grocery stores certainly are aware of the empty shelves, Lempert said, and they are trying to mitigate panic buying, which only worsens it the situation.One strategy: Fanning out products.