U.S. meatpacker Smithfield Foods offers to store COVID-19 vaccines in ultra-cold freezers

U.S. meatpacker Smithfield Foods offers to store COVID-19 vaccines in ultra-cold freezers Smithfield Foods, the world's biggest pork processor, said on Thursday it had offered to help U.S. health officials distribute COVID-19 vaccines and store them in ultra-cold freezers that are in high demand to support a public vaccination campaign. Tom Polansek U.S.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, said on Thursday it had offered to help U.S. health officials distribute COVID-19 vaccines and store them in ultra-cold freezers that are in high demand to support a public vaccination campaign.

U.S. states, cities and hospitals are scrambling to buy freezers that can safely store Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine at temperatures of minus 70 Celsius (minus 94 Fahrenheit), significantly below the standard for vaccines.

Moderna’s vaccine can be stored at minus 20 Celsius.

Smithfield, owned by China’s WH Group, has multiple “ultra-cold” freezers and will work with local authorities to provide assistance as needed, said Chief Administrative Officer Keira Lombardo, without providing details.

The company is “ready and willing to assist health agencies should storage capacity become constrained,” she said in a statement to Reuters. ...