Grocery stores are struggling with rising labour and product shortages that could threaten Canada91裸聊视频檚 food security, experts say.

Employee absenteeism due to workers calling in sick and COVID-19 protocols has hit about 30 per cent at some stores and is continuing to rise, Gary Sands, senior vice-president of public policy with the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, said Tuesday.

Without access to rapid testing in many provinces, he said workers are repeatedly forced to isolate for a week or more after an exposure to COVID-19.

If the situation worsens, some grocery stores won91裸聊视频檛 be able to stay open 91裸聊视频� threatening food security in rural and remote areas that rely on a sole independent grocer, Sands said.

91裸聊视频淚f we have to keep sending people home, at a certain point stores are not going to be able to operate,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e very frustrated with the lack of rapid test kits for grocers.91裸聊视频�

Health Canada has made some rapid test kits available directly to companies in critical sectors, including the food industry, with 200 or more employees.

But many independent grocery stores don91裸聊视频檛 meet that threshold, putting those kits out of reach, Sands said.

Yet many grocers cannot obtain rapid tests through provinces either, he said.

91裸聊视频淚ndependent grocers are in a myriad of communities in this country where there is no other grocery store,91裸聊视频� Sands said. 91裸聊视频淚f those stores close, you91裸聊视频檝e got a food security issue.91裸聊视频�

Meanwhile, stores are also experiencing a shortage of goods stemming from supply chain issues, including a shortage of truckers, packaging and processing delays and the Canadian winter.

Grocers rely on 91裸聊视频渏ust in time91裸聊视频� delivery, meaning even transient issues like inclement weather can cause delays and shortages, Retail Council of Canada spokesperson Michelle Wasylyshen said.

Still, empty shelves at some supermarkets should only be temporary, she said, noting that retailers are exploring all avenues to get products to stores as quickly as possible.

But some supply chain issues could be longer lasting, such as the trucker shortage intensified by the federal government91裸聊视频檚 new vaccine mandate.

91裸聊视频淭he issue with the truckers having to be vaccinated is causing some delays, especially with the supply of fruit and vegetables from California,91裸聊视频� Sands said.

91裸聊视频淕rocers in Central Canada are mostly reporting just delays of a couple weeks, but in the West the shortages seem to be more significant.91裸聊视频�

In some cases, Sands said grocers are short nearly 40 per cent of their usual stock of a variety of products.

91裸聊视频淓specially in the West, some grocers are saying the situation is as bad as it was in the spring of 2020 in terms of supply,91裸聊视频� he said.

It91裸聊视频檚 not just the produce aisle that experiencing shortages. Soups, cereals and cleaning supplies are all running lower than normal, Sands said.

Many shoppers have noticed empty shelves where Kellogg91裸聊视频檚 cereal is normally stocked, for example.

Kellogg Canada said in an emailed statement that higher at-home consumption coupled with supply chain challenges have impacted the availability of some products in Canada, such as Kellogg91裸聊视频檚 Rice Krispies cereal.

The company said the 91裸聊视频渋ntermittent shortages91裸聊视频� reflect the challenging operating environment all manufacturers are experiencing, adding that it91裸聊视频檚 working hard to get Kellogg91裸聊视频檚 cereal brands back on store shelves.

About 1,400 union workers at Kellog91裸聊视频檚 plants in the United States were on strike for several weeks last year. An agreement was reached Dec. 21.

91裸聊视频擝rett Bundale, The Canadian Press