PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — Giant Eagle is temporarily limiting the purchase of ground beef and on-sale meat items to two of each per transaction. Giant Eagle spokesman Dick Roberts says the supermarket chain had limited some meat purchases early in the COVID-19 pandemic in March, but now the demand for meat is skyrocketing — causing this latest announcement. Meat won’t disappear from supermarket shelves, but added to the mix is the impact of outbreaks of COVID-19 among U.S. slaughterhouse workers. Consumers could see a smaller selection of meat and higher prices. Roberts said Giant Eagle is working with several suppliers in each of its product categories. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed recently that consumer buying patterns change quickly and some products face supply-chain disruptions. But the USDA said it planned a $3 billion purchase of fresh produce, dairy and meat to help stabilize prices.