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A local yeast plant has risen to the occasion to meet a spike in demand related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With yeast at the heart of the bread-making process and loaves flying off the shelves, Calgary’s AB Mauri factory in the city’s southeast has operated at 25 per cent over capacity to bring its product to stores across North America.

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Plant manager Gerald Ripley said the initial spike in demand took place mid-March and is only now starting to return to normal.

“When things (non-essential businesses) started shutting down, it was an initial panic buy,” Ripley says of the yeast shortage. “People went to the grocery store and saw empty shelves so they started buying a bit extra, like fresh bread.”

With people doing more cooking and eating at home, the demand for products such as bread has increased. Additionally, with a growing number of people isolated at home and finding they have time on their hands, baking bread has become a popular pursuit.