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In an April 3 letter, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and 15 other food and beverage industry groups urged leaders in Congress to provide targeted financial aid to workers in the critical industries as they work to care for, feed and protect Americans through the coronavirus outbreak.

To help assist, inform and educate its members and the food and beverage industry in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Madison, Wis.-based International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA) said it is releasing weekly updates with a specific focus on the bakery, dairy, deli meat, deli cheese and deli-prepared sectors.

Groups representing dairy cooperatives and farmers in the Midwest today urged the federal government to provide direct assistance to farmers and to expedite the purchase of additional dairy foods amid unprecedented disruptions in supply and demand due to the COVID-19 national emergency.

The coronavirus pandemic has food and beverage companies rethinking some everyday efforts.

In a March 31 letter shared with the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association’s (IDDBA) community, IDDBA President and CEO Michael J. Eardley announced the cancelation of the IDDBA 2020 show due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In their March 26 “COVID-19 Impact, Consumer Spending Tracker for MULOC Retailers US, UK, France, Italy, NZ” report — the latest in a series of weekly reports — Chicago-based market research firm IRI and partner Boston Consulting Group show that U.S. retail dairy purchases were up 57.8% during the week ending March 15, 2020, in comparison to the same time period in 2019.

As of March 30, at least 27 U.S. states had issued stay-at-home orders, and many “nonessential” businesses had closed. But food and beverage manufacturers, including dairy processors, continue to operate as part of a subset of industries deemed essential to continued critical infrastructure viability.

As the coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to spread, the Novi, Mich.-based Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) said it remains steadfast in its mission to market members’ milk to the greatest advantage possible while taking actions to protect the health and safety of its communities.

To facilitate the distribution of food during the COVID-19 pandemic, FDA released a guidance document on March 26 to provide restaurants and food manufacturers with flexibility regarding nutrition labeling of certain packaged food.