Shortages of labor, packaging materials and raw ingredients are making food & beverage processors ship as little as 40% of what their trade customers order, grocery executives told the Wall Street Journal. Processors are struggling to meet unexpectedly high demand: monthly grocery sales are up 3% from a year ago, when the pandemic was still in full swing, and up 14% from two years ago, before the pandemic, according to IRI research quoted in the Journal.

The CEO of Rouses Markets, a chain of about 60 stores based in Louisiana, said he has had so many problems getting Lunchables meal kits from Kraft Heinz that the store has taken to assembling its own. Kraft Heinz told the Journal that demand for Lunchables is the most intense in five years.

Walmart has reinstated penalty fees for incomplete shipments after suspending them last spring, but that hasn’t helped. However, the bigger retailers in general are faring better, as processors favor them during shortages.

Source: https://www.foodprocessing.com/industrynews/2021/grocers-grapple-with-ongoing-shortages/

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LOS ANGELES (KKTV) – There were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries following the strongest earthquake in the Los Angeles region in more than a year.

The 4.2-magnitude quake was reported just before 4:30 a.m. local time Thursday, with the epicenter within city limits in the San Fernando Valley area of the city. It was the strongest earthquake felt in the region since a pair of tremblers at 6.4 and 7.1 struck about 160 miles north of the metro area last summer. Those were the most powerful earthquakes to hit Southern California in more than 20 years.

CBS Los Angeles is reporting Thursday’s earthquake was followed by a 3.3-magnitude aftershock about 10 minutes later.

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