Wendy's limits menu items, some stores limit meat purchases amid COVID-19

Some stores and a nationwide fast food chain are dealing with meat supply disruptions after several meatpacking plants were shutdown recently amid outbreaks of COVID-19.

For more than 50 years, Wendy's has prided itself on fresh, never frozen, beef.

MENU ITEMS BECAUSE OF COVID-19WENDY'S IS PULLING BACK SOMEMENU ITEMS BECAUSE OF COVID-19SHUTDOWNS..THANKS FOR JOINING US..I'M TOD TD QUINONES..AND... I'M TRICIA KEAN..THE FAST FOOD JOINT....IS NOT THE ONLY ONE..COSTCO....AND SMITH'S..... ARE ALSOLIMITING.... MEAT PURCHASES...LETS GET TO....13 INVESTIGATES REPORTER....JOE BARTELS....LIVE NEAR LAKE MEAD AND THE95....TO EXPLAIN...JOE?IT'S UNCLEAR HOW MANY LOCATIONSARE IMPACTED..BUT WENDY'S SAYS.THEY ARE LIMITING SOME MENUITEMS..TO AVOID DISRUPTIONS TO THEIRSUPPLIES..THE ISSUE..ARE MEAT PACKING PLANTS..THAT ARE DEALING WITHCOVID-19...FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS..WENDY'S HAS PRIDED ITSELF..WITHFRESH..NEVER FROZEN BEEF..

BUT THEHAMBURGER GIANT..NOW SAYS SOME MENU ITEMS WILLBE LIMITED...BECAUSE OF COVID-19 RELATED..MEAT PROCESSING PROBLEMS...THE COMPANY SAYS..RESTAURANTS..ARE STILL GETTING BEEFSHIPMENTS..TWO OR THREE TIMES PERWEEK...BY TRUCK.SOT: PAUL ENOS/NEVADA TRUCKINGASSOCIATION :20 "JOE, WHEN YOULOOK AT THE DATA WE HAVE PLENTYOF MEATS, WE HAVE MORE BEEFMORE PIGS THAN WE'VE HAD INALMOST ANY TIME OVER THE PASTHALF DECADE." PAUL ENOS WITH THE NEVADATRUCKING ASSOCIATION..ANDSUPPLY CHAIN EXPERT SAYS..THERE'S PLENTLY..OF LIVESTOCK...BEEF..AND POULTRY..IN THE UNITEDSTATES.SOT: PAUL ENOS/NEVADA TRUCKINGASSOCIATION 1:22 "I DO THINKTHAT SOME OF THE PANIC HAS BEENOVER BLOWN WHEN I SEE SOME OFYEAH THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY ARE BUTI ALSO THINK WE HAVE CREATED ASITUATION THAT'S RESULTED INPANIC BUYING." SOME MEATPACKING PLANTSACROSS THE COUNTRYSHUTDOWN..RECENTLY..DUE TO HUNDREDS OF COVID-19CASES...SPREADING AMONGWORKERS.LAST WEEK..PRESIDENT TRUMP..ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER..REQUIRING PLANTS TO STAYOPEN..SOT: BURN IN DATE: "APRIL 28"24:15 PRESIDENT DONALDTRUMP/UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"WE ARE WORKING WITH TYSON,WHICH IS ONE OF THE BIGCOMPANIES IN THAT WORLD, AND WEALWAYS WORK WITH THE FARMERS.THERE'S PLENTLY OF SUPPLY,THERE'S PLENTLY OF SUPPLY, IT'SDISTRUBUTION." EXPERTS TELL THEASSOCIATED PRESS..UNTIL THE PLANTS ARE FULLYOPERATIONAL..THERE WILL LIKELY BE HIGHERPRICES..AND SOME SHORTAGES.SOT: PAUL ENOS/NEVADA TRUCKINGASSOCIATION 2:40 "I THINK THISIS A SOLVABLE ISSUE AND A LOTOF THE CONCERNS THAT ARE OUTTHERE AND CONTINUE TO GO ON OUTTHERE SHOULD BE ALLAYED BYWHAT'S GOING ON." IN THE MEANTIME..KROGER..WHICH OWN'S SEVERAL GROCERYCHAINS..

INCLUDING...SMITH'S..HAS LIMITED MEAT PURCHASES..COSTCO..IS ALSO LIMITING...MEAT PURCHASES..TO MAKE SURE THERE'S ENOUGHPRODUCT TO GO AROUND...THE NEVADA TRUCKINGASSOCIATION..SAYS..PANIC BUYING..THINGS LIKE..CLEANING PRODUCTS..TOILET PAPER..PAPER TOWELS..

APPEARS TO BESLOWING..DOWN FROM THE MAJOR PEAKS..