
Issues with the broader supply chain have been a constant in the news since early in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and have not yet abated. Issues with the supply of ingredients for pet food have not been any different. For example, egg, chicken, turkey and pork supplies have all been disrupted at some point over the past 18 months. This has sent ripples through the market with raw material shortages and resulted in short-shipped orders and periodic empty shelves for some finished goods. In these circumstances, the concepts of “just-in-time” and “limited reserves” were a liability as supplies tightened and logistics/transportation became fragmented.