It seems that the ongoing coronavirus crisis and its impact on the global economy may also be having a detrimental effect on the quality of beer and soda in some countries.
According to Reuters, the production of ethanol in the United States has witnessed a sharp decline due to the drop in gasoline demand.
And since ethanol producers serve as key suppliers of the carbon dioxide which beer and soft drinks makers use for their carbonation, this "is disrupting this highly specialized corner of the food industry".
As Bob Pease, chief executive officer of the Brewers Association, explained, CO2 suppliers to beer brewers have already increased prices by about 25 percent.
"The problem is accelerating. Every day we’re hearing from more of our members about this," Pease said.
At the same time, a spokeswoman for National Beverage Corp said the company "sources from a number of national CO2 suppliers and does not anticipate a supply issue".
