The U.S. food supply chain has become so efficient in recent years that grocery stores and their customers do not anticipate the sight of empty shelves. That image, however, was quickly shattered in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic when grocers, large and small, could not receive certain products fast enough to keep store shelves replenished.
Across the country, television news reports showed surprising videos of panicked shoppers looking for food and sanitization products to no avail.
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