The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) has partnered with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), which launched an online portal to assist hundreds of distillers who are producing hand sanitizer to help solve the supply shortage triggered by panic buying caused by deadly novel coronavirus pandemic.
GCCA’s third-party logistics members, ranging from cold storage warehouse operators and transportation specialists to design-build and supply companies, are a critical link in the food distribution sector’s cold chain. Ninety-five percent of the food produced and manufactured in the USA or imported into the nation goes through third-party warehouses and distribution centers before it reaches consumers.
As part of the food and agriculture sector, GCCA members have been deemed an “essential business and service” under Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21) in recognition of the essential role they play in keeping the country safe and fed during the current health emergency. Hand sanitizer is an important component in keeping food supply chain company facilities clean and disinfected.
“Acknowledging that hospitals and the medical industry are first in line for the product, we ask that the food supply industry be one of the next in line,” said Megan Costello, interim president and chief executive officer of the Alexandria, Virginia-headquartered GCCA. “We commend and thank these distilleries and DISCUS for their efforts in helping fight the spread of the contagious virus that causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease. By voluntarily shifting from producing alcohol alone to producing hand sanitizer, they are playing an essential role in helping keep the nation’s food supplies moving. We encourage our members to reach out to a local distillery today.”
“The nation’s distilled spirits industry is mobilizing to aid our communities, hospitals and first responders during this time of crisis,” said Chris Swonger, president and chief executive officer of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
To date, hundreds of distillers are now using their equipment to produce hand sanitizer.
