Many thought that the pandemic was going to be a small dot on the timeline of history. But now, nearly three years later, we see that everything has been touched by the pandemic, and we will never return to “normal.”

Supply chain bottlenecks aren’t uncommon. Earthquakes, fires, and ships getting stuck in major canals are events that happen, causing temporary setbacks. But there has never been a disruption as widespread, severe, and unpredictable from a supply chain standpoint as the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly overnight, factories were shuttered, ports closed, and inventory was cut off.

Ask anyone in the restaurant industry right now, and they will probably tell you that supply chain issues, along with increased food costs, are their most pressing challenges. Everything, from fryer oil to meat and vegetables to dish soap and freezer parts, is in short supply. And, when a restaurant can get its hands on the items it needs, they find themselves paying much higher prices. 

One of the most immediate commercial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was consumers’ shift to online shopping, resulting in a surge in demand for eCommerce warehouse and distribution services. As warehouses tried to keep up with rising demands, they were simultaneously dealing with their own labor shortage, supply chain, and transportation issues, creating a host of ongoing challenges.

The global supply chain has struggled since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether your business needs computer chips or potato chips, there has been a series of bottlenecks at various points along the supply chain that continue to persist. 

Easy access to safe and healthy food is a luxury most people in the developed world take for granted. Consumers expect fully-stocked supermarket shelves and restaurants without ingredients shortages.

Even though the seasonal peak in shipping demand has passed, this nation’s supply chain issues are expected to continue into the coming year. Shipping a container through major U.S. ports is now more costly and takes much more time than in the past. And, even items moving domestically are facing various bottlenecks due to trucking shortages and other inefficiencies in the supply chain. 

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a host of vulnerabilities in the global food supply chain, leading to all sorts of disruptions across the country. Whether people are concerned about eating out at their favorite restaurant or getting ahold of their must-have snack food at the local grocer’s, fluctuating levels of supply and demand have created an unprecedented situation for food businesses. Here’s what you need to know about the current situation and six ways your food business can deal with supply chain disruptions.

Supply chain challenges have become a constant source of stress for food and beverage companies and the businesses that contract with them. Any disruption along the supply chain can upend plant operations, production schedules, logistics, and the customer experience.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global supply chain continues to reach well beyond urgent struggles on behalf of consumers to obtain finished products or manufacturers to get vital raw materials. As the world emerges from the past 18 months of what should have been a brief interruption in the way we do business, reports from experts reveal that the damage to the supply chain could be long-lasting.

World events and technological innovations have ushered in a new era for the food supply chain sector. How consumers look at, purchase, and consume food has changed drastically over the past several years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an increasing desire for complete transparency.

Here is how consumer behavior has shifted in such a short period, the ways that online shopping growth will affect the food supply chain, and what companies can do to provide greater transparency moving forward.