Demand for home baking supplies on the rise due to COVID-19

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Empty grocery store shelves have been an issue since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and even the baking aisle isn’t safe.

“There are some isolated shortages of flour for home baking, you know the 1-pound bag that people think about, you know a little bit of dry yeast here and there,” said Robb MacKie, the CEO of the American Bakers Association.

MacKie added that while the shelves may be empty, it is not because of a lack of the product.

“There's no shortage of flour and the millers are continuing to produce flour, the challenge is that demand has grown very quickly. I mean almost overnight,” he said.

MacKie said grain millers are ramping up production in what would normally be a slow time of the year for them to try and keep up. He said some data show that home flour sales are up by more than 240 percent because baking can be a little theraputic.

“It’s a fun activity families can do together. So I think you're seeing that uptick, particularly as this is going on longer,” he said. “You use the baking process to kind of relieve stress. Is that baking yoga? I don't know.”

While it may be tough finding some baking supplies at the grocery store, MacKie said there’s no need to worry.

“There might be isolated shortages here and there on certain products, but the food supply is working and we're doing everything we can to keep the food supply going,” he said.