Covid threatens supply of Christmas menu favourites

“Absurd” Covid restrictions have put Christmas menu favourites in jeopardy, with Victorians warned of a likely shortage of popular items.

Popular Christmas menu items are facing a supply shortage as a result of “absurd” Covid restrictions.

Victoria’s meat, poultry and seafood industry has warned of Christmas supply shortages if the state government doesn’t overturn “absurd” Covid-19 restrictions crippling the sector.

The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) has joined forces with the Australian Chicken Meat Federation and Seafood Industry Victoria in calling for an urgent review of workforce caps.

Abattoirs, meat, seafood and poultry processing plants are all deemed authorised providers, but are subject to strict density limits despite up to 80 per cent of the industry being fully vaccinated.

Abattoirs and seafood processors must operate with 20 per cent less staff, while chicken slaughterhouses are subject to a 10 per cent reduction in staff.

It’s understood about 89 sites across metropolitan Melbourne are impacted by the restrictions.

The industry claims at least 13 sites had more than 75 per cent of their workforce fully vaccinated, while a further 34 had between 50 and 80 per cent full vaccination coverage.

Australian Meat Industry Council chief executive Patrick Hutchinson said the issue posed a severe risk to Victoria’s food supply.

Mr Hutchinson warned the lost productivity from restrictions would lead to major flow-on impacts for farmers and consumers in the lead up to Christmas.

“Implementing the same regressive restrictions on sites with vaccination rates of 70 per cent plus to those with low vaccination rates is absurd,” he said.

“It is a complete disgrace that fully vaccinated workers are being sent home despite working at facilities with workforces that have more than 70 per cent of all staff vaccinated.”

Mr Hutchinson said the current “spring flush” was the peak season to slaughter animals for Christmas roasts and hams.

“If these unreasonable restrictions aren’t lifted, not only will individual farmers lose thousands of dollars, food supply to consumers from Victorian businesses will be restricted,” he added.

“Without intervention, brands that Victorians know and love could be in short supply.”

Abattoirs and processing plants have been deemed high risk workplaces by the public health team throughout the pandemic.

At least 111 positive cases were linked to Brooklyn abattoir Cedar Meats, which was at the centre of Victoria’s largest outbreaks during the first wave.

Originally published as Covid threatens supply of Christmas menu favourites