Supplies of holiday hams and some pork products are being stretched as COVID-19 precautions challenge meatpackers' workforces, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Some meat suppliers are placing limits on how much pork supermarkets can order, grocers said, leading to less variety and fewer pork promotions ahead of Christmas.
The pandemic has prompted some major processors, including Smithfield Foods Inc. and JBS USA Holdings, to provide paid leave for workers considered higher risk due to their older age or pre-existing conditions, the companies have said. Some meat companies have made additional hires to offset higher-risk workers' absences.
To space workers farther apart, some meat plants have slowed processing speeds. Bacon, dinner sausages and lunch meat have also been in tight supply, grocery companies said.