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People that hate flat soda and beer may need to brace themselves.
The coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns have affected many industries and have sparked temporary shortages in many products, such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
Now, an unexpected impact from the outbreak may cause a shortage of carbonated beverages.
According to Reuters, CO2 suppliers have already increased prices by about 25 percent. (iStock)
Due to a lack of demand for ethanol, CO2 suppliers are having trouble keeping up with the demand, Reuters reports. According to the report, CO2 gas is captured during the production of ethanol and then sold in large quantities to the food and beverage industry.
CO2, carbon dioxide, is used for the carbonation process in soda and beer.
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The production of ethanol has reportedly seen a sharp decline as the demand for gasoline has dropped while many Americans are traveling significantly less during the pandemic. With less ethanol being produced, less carbon dioxide is being captured, causing a reduction in the supply.
According to Reuters, CO2 suppliers have already increased prices by about 25 percent.
Bob Please, the chief executive officer of the Brewers Association, told the news outlet that he expects some brewers to start cutting production over the upcoming weeks.
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By early April, the production of CO2 had reportedly fallen by 20 percent and was estimated to drop to 50 percent by the middle of the month. Carbon dioxide is also used in the processing, packaging, and preservation by meat producers, who are also reportedly being impacted by the shortage.
This is not the only way the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the meat industry.
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The president and CEO of Smithfield Foods, one of the nation’s largest meat-processing companies, recently warned of “severe, perhaps disastrous” consequences for the country’s meat supply chain following the closure of its South Dakota plant — and several other meat-processing plants — due to outbreaks of the novel coronavirus.
Fox News' Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.
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