Better dead than vegan: The foods panic buyers ignore even during a viral pandemic
Panic-stricken shoppers have stripped supermarket shelves bare across the western world, ignoring ‘social distancing’ rules to snap up supplies. But there are apparently some foods not even a global pandemic can make appetizing.
As the Covid-19 coronavirus spread exponentially throughout the world this month, political leaders advised the public not to stockpile food. Supply lines, they said, would hold, and shortages would be quickly rectified.
Shoppers didn’t listen. Panic buying set in, and reports of fights, looting, and hoarding emanated from virtually every affected country. However, not even the imminent threat of infection and lockdown could move some products from the shelves.
As Italy recorded its first spike of cases – passing 400 infections and 12 deaths just one month ago – panic buyers grabbed all the pasta they could. All of it, that is, except the smooth-surfaced Penne Lisce. Evidently, a prolonged lockdown would be unbearable if the sauce didn’t stick to the pasta just right.
Breaking #coronavirus News from Italy:
Supermarket shelves are emptying out as panic buying sets in
But Italians have still not reached the point where they buy “Penne Lisce”#Covid_19 #covid_19italia
Note the own-brand supermarket pasta to the left which no one wants either pic.twitter.com/qa3gjjZZ1K
— David Morrison (@davidmrsn) February 27, 2020
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Weeks later, as the death toll in Italy soared into the thousands and other countries started seeing a serious uptick in their caseloads, hundreds of similar scenes were reported in the UK and US. Plant-based hot dogs, it turns out, are the ultimate in fair-weather food.
The people have spoken and it is a resounding “Hell No!” We would rather starve in a pandemic before eating plant-based meat! pic.twitter.com/FFYvRyW4px
— Jesse Pritchard (@HoosTurf) March 20, 2020
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Not even in a crisis will folks buy the plant based hot dogs #californiashutdown #CaliforniaQuarantine pic.twitter.com/jEHh9lcHeT
— Dr. David Franklin (@SFPrincipal) March 21, 2020
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Interesting photo sent to me from a colleague in a Michigan grocery store #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/PbRJtpwS9S
— Sara Place (@drsplace) March 13, 2020
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Regular old fruits and vegetables were snapped up all across the UK, but a snapshot from one Tesco outlet suggests that brussels sprouts are despised all year round, not just at Christmas.
Eat your sprouts, people. pic.twitter.com/GDtGiIgxCj
— ✨ Mallika Basu ✨ (@MallikaBasu_) March 18, 2020
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With the global economy in a tailspin and well over a billion people worldwide under lockdown, perhaps retailers and food manufacturers can use this opportunity to conduct some free market research? Among all the sweeping societal changes Covid-19 ushers in, perhaps the deadly virus will finally consign chocolate hummus to the dustbin of history.
Somehow reassuring in the midst of #coronavirus shopping frenzy to know that people still have the sense *not* to buy #chocolatehummus and buffalo hummus. #traderjoes #dc pic.twitter.com/fLvuUFWz3Y
— Noah (@noahgo) March 13, 2020
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Better dead than vegan: The foods panic buyers ignore even during a viral pandemic