BMPA warns that the UK risks food shortages if food factory workers are not prioritised for COVID-19 vaccine
The British Meat Processors Association warns that the UK Government's failure to prioritise food processing workers for the coronavirus vaccine puts the country's food supply at risk.
8 January 2021
2 minute read
The BMPA is again calling on Government to follow the example of America’s Centre for Disease Control as well as World Health Organisation guidance, and place frontline workers in meat factories on the list of early vaccine recipients.
The risk of more rapid spread of the virus amongst key workers, coupled with expected disruption of food supplies at our ports as the full effects of Brexit begin to unfold, pose a severe challenge to the industry and to the smooth running of the nation’s food supply chain.
Nick Allen, CEO of BMPA explains: “As the new coronavirus variant takes hold across the whole of the UK, we are hearing widespread reports of rapidly rising absences in the food supply chain. In some cases, notably in the supermarket sector, companies are seeing a tripling of staff having to take time off work through illness or enforced self-isolation”.
Given the specialised nature of the meat processing industry, if absences go above a certain level, it becomes impossible for a plant to continue operations. If this starts happening plants would be forced to close entirely and a sizeable chunk of food supply would disappear from supermarket shelves.
Nick Allen added: “None of our members have reached that point to date, largely due to the significant investment they have made to implement extra health and safety measures to keep their staff safe. But the warning signs are there.
“We are therefore calling on Government to include meat factory workers in the initial roll-out of vaccinations. This would provide much needed protection and comfort to this at-risk group and the communities in which they live as well as ensuring that the critical food supply chain continues to run smoothly".
