Within hours of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the American food industry had banded together to help supply disaster relief volunteers, rescue squads, area hospitals, and misplaced people.
General Mills immediately announced it was donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross. This was swiftly followed by contributions from numerous firms including Coca-Cola ($12m) and Unilever ($2m).
Manufacturers also sent food, drinks and toiletries to help with the relief effort.
Among these were 700,000 cups and cans of Del Monte fruit, Nestlé power bars, trailers full of Kraft and Kellogg's food, and nappies and toothpaste from Unilever.
The Ralston Purina Company even made sure that rescue dogs were being fed, providing them with its Purina dog food.
Supermarkets have also been encouraging shoppers and staff to help victims via fundraising campaigns, the sponsoring of radio and television charity advertisements, and blood donation drives.
Chains such as Pathmark, Safeway, Wegmans, and ShopRite have given away truckloads of store products to relief organisations. Ahold USA established the American Hero's Fund.
But it has not only been large supermarkets which have helped in the crisis. Delis and small New York City grocers also offered free food, water and phone calls. One Korean grocer on Leonard Street stayed open in "ground zero" to make sure hungry workers and the police were well fed.
And many restaurants in the city have been preparing meals for the rescue workers. There has been so much food donated that aid organisations are now asking for cash contributions instead.
Chris Crocker of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade has offices less than a mile away from the twin towers.
He said that because far fewer people than normal were venturing into the financial district, most businesses relying on foot traffic would experience a drop in clientèle.
"Because the area affected is primarily in the financial district and not heavily residential, there are few supermarkets in the area that would have been directly affected.
"The more significant impact would be on any number of restaurants, coffee bars, small, specialist delis and other retailers in the immediate area of the World Trade Center, and also in lost business to other restaurants, delis, and supermarkets in lower Manhattan behind police lines."
One large business which has been affected is the Fulton Street Fish Exchange in lower Manhattan, which moved operations temporarily to the Bronx.
Crocker said challenges in transporting perishable items, such as lobsters, had also hit firms. "If transportation continues to be an issue, it could make Maine lobster very inexpensive in Maine and very very expensive elsewhere."
Dan Zawacki, founder of Chicago based Lobster Gram International, lost lobsters after air travel was halted nationwide last week.
Zawacki said his business shipped about 100 lobsters a day through Boston's Logan airport and feared extra security there in the future could hamper shipments.
Crocker added: "It appears that huge efforts have been made to cushion the broader economic impact of these events. So much emphasis is being placed on getting the US economic machine up and running and in getting people back to work that it is hard to tell what the long-term impact will be on retailers and on consumer confidence."
l A Stilton Cheesemakers Association campaign in NYC using an image of a cheese as the moon over the Manhattan skyline has been cancelled until further notice.
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