The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released recommendations to address shortages of personal protective equipment in the food and agriculture industry during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused shortages in PPE, cloth face coverings, disinfectants, and sanitation supplies,” the document read. “Some food production stakeholders face challenges procuring adequate materials due to increased demand across all economic sectors and the disruption of traditional supply chains.”
The recommendations state that supplies should first be directed to hospitals and other healthcare providing establishments, then to the food and agriculture sector, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
The document noted that the food and agriculture sector should follow guidance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding the use of PPE.
Additionally, the recommendations addressed the requirements companies must take to source PPE from state or federal agencies.
The full document can be found here.
