In early spring 2020, Smithfield, Tyson, and other industrial food suppliers warned that upwards of millions of pounds of meat could disappear from the U.S. supply chain as a result of the coronavirus. Although it now appears these fears were overblown or possibly a ploy to bolster exports (excepting pork products like pepperoni), tens of thousands of slaughterhouse workers around the world have tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 90 of them have died from the virus. As the health crisis stretches on, the threat to meatpacking, meat processing, and distribution center employees has researchers hunting for a new production model. Even with physical distancing protocols and personal protective equipment like face shields and masks, plant closures are looming -- and the idea of automation is rapidly gaining ground. The U.S. meatpacking industry employed nearly 600,000 workers -- a large portion of whom are immigrants -- at wages averaging $15.92 an hour in 2019.