Marfrig will manufacture alcohol gel inside SP

The food manufacturer Marfrig will start producing gel alcohol in a factory in Promissão, in the interior of São Paulo, to distribute in its factories and to nearby health institutions. With the coronavirus pandemic, the product used in hygiene is one of the most requested by companies and consumers. The Promissão unit also has slaughter and sore operations. There was already a gel soap and alcohol factory, products used in the refrigerator's internal operations, but which for economic reasons had been disabled for about a year. The first batch will be distributed to the company's 12 units installed in Brazil. The following lots will be allocated to Marfrig's 18,000 employees in the country and donated to care institutions and hospitals located in the cities in which the company operates. "We understood that, in the current situation, it was important to reactivate this unit," said Miguel Gularte, Marfrig's CEO in an interview with EXAME. In recent weeks, gel alcohol, an important product for the hygiene and prevention of coronavirus, has disappeared from supermarket and pharmacy shelves. Companies have restricted consumer purchases. The LVHM group, of the luxury brand Louis Vuitton, and the manufacturer of beers Ambev also started to manufacture the product. "Even for companies the supply of alcohol gel is difficult," said marfrig's director. All 14 Marfrig Global Foods plants in Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile continue to operate to supply the Brazilian domestic market and more than 100 countries. The company stepped up care for the 30,000 employees in factories, such as a higher frequency of surface cleaning and temperature monitoring of all employees. Risk group employees have been removed or are working in the home office. The company also announced the donation of 7.5 million reais to the Ministry of Health. The amount will be earmarked for the purchase of 100,000 rapid tests to diagnose the new coronavirus.