During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, people swamped supermarkets and other food retailers, stocking up on everything they could find, from fresh meat to frozen pizza. Refrigeration equipment was used hard as doors were opened and closed incessantly by shoppers — as were grocery store employees, who worked around the clock to keep shelves stocked.
For now, the panic has ebbed, and food retailers are seeing more normal foot traffic through their stores. Still, there is concern about transmission of the COVID-19 virus, and grocers — as well as restaurant owners — are becoming more vigilant in keeping their refrigeration equipment as clean as possible.