No More Leftovers: Turkey Shortage Could Impact Thanksgiving
It looks like there is another thing we can now add to our list of pandemic-related shortages: turkey. It could have a big impact on Thanksgiving this year.
We have seen so many different shortages throughout the past year and change, most if not all directly related to the pandemic. Whether a production has to shut down because of a case of COVID-19 or companies can't keep up with demand, there have been a bunch of different shortages since early 2020.
One big example of this is Clorox wipes. Did you ever think you would see a shortage of Clorox wipes? When the pandemic first hit back in March, so many people stocked up on them that they were hard to find for quite some time! (The shortage became so real that there was even a scam about it!)
We have also seen some more unusual shortages, like a shortage of frozen pizza later in the year last year. This was likely due to so many people stocking their freezers so they would be set while quarantining at home during COVID-19. Who could forget the pepperoni shortage from last August?
Now, we have another shortage that we thankfully didn't deal with in 2020. Several different news outlets have reported on a turkey shortage, which will hit just in time for Thanksgiving.
The TODAY Show, for example, is just one of those outlets who reported on the turkey shortage this week. According to their report, it may be hard to put a turkey on your Thanksgiving table this year "due to labor and production challenges" from the pandemic.
The report goes on to say that it has been hard to keep a normal production flow for companies during the pandemic and that includes those that help put turkey on the Thanksgiving table, whether fresh or frozen.
Don't gobble at this news just yet though: if anything, you may just have to cook a larger, frozen turkey. Some people don't like the idea, as it takes more preparation and longer time to defrost and prepare. However, a bigger, frozen turkey shouldn't be too hard to find.
Reports say it is the fresh or frozen smaller turkeys that are going to be hard to get your hands on this year. Last year, many turned to this type of turkey as they hosted a smaller Thanksgiving gathering due to the pandemic. Now those people may need to go back to their old turkey ways.
By the way, a larger turkey in this case is over sixteen pounds. A "smaller" turkey in these terms means anything under that. But hey, a larger turkey means more leftovers!
The turkey shortage isn't a huge shock if you've been keeping up with all shortages throughout the pandemic. As the CDC reports, there have been "multiple outbreaks of COVID-19 among meat and poultry processing facility workers" since the pandemic began. Without this part of the supply chain, production slows or stops, hence leading to the shortages.