New Responsibilities in Food Safety

This already-important aspect of foodservice is now paramount in the pandemic’s wake

By Renée M. Covino

“STAYING SAFE” has become a new phrase of life since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, it’s no wonder that consumers today have a heightened awareness and more stringent standards for food safety at convenience stores.

For many shoppers, c-stores became mini grocery stores that they relied upon more often than usual for fresh food during the pandemic. Having to stock more perishable items opened up a new world of responsibility for c-stores, which now have to guarantee freshness and make sure items are traceable in the event of a recall.

“Many stores had to rethink their records management and really evaluate the state of their product data,” said Ryan Richard, vice president of community engagement for GS1 US, the standards body best known for being the administrator of the UPC barcode.

GS1 US is working to educate the industry on how to identify products uniquely in the supply chain, capture data about those products, and share product information in a uniform way through GS1 standards, reportedly the most widely used supply chain standards in the world. “These data standards support widespread food traceability, as they help retailers know exactly where food was grown and how it was processed or packaged, which can help c-stores protect consumers,” Richard explained.

GS1 US has been working with c-store industry associations Conexxus and NACS to raise awareness of a major transition happening at the point-of-sale (POS) between now and 2027. Brands and retailers have begun to migrate from the traditional UPC barcode to a two-dimensional (2D) barcode on product packaging.

“The 2D barcodes, such as a QR code, can hold much more information relevant to what consumers want today and improve transparency,” Richard said. “They want to know about product origins, if it was sustainably made, if it contains any allergens, and other key information that confirms the product is in line with their diets or beliefs.”

Convenience stores are starting to understand the importance of embracing technology to track and monitor food delivery and preparation, as well as communicate nutritional and allergen information to consumers, noted Mia Massi, senior marketing manager at Charlotte, N.C.-based SATO America, a provider of food labeling solutions.

“As c-stores begin to use more fresh food in their meals, it will be important that they communicate food safety and nutritional information to their customers to ensure confidence,” she said.

At the same time, c-store operators are expanding their hot and cold foodservice offerings to get customers to visit and spend more. These new offerings are forcing retailers “to take a hard look at their food safety procedures and, in many cases, implement new technology that helps them automate and streamline in-store workflows,” said Derek Stangle, vice president of marketing at Squadle Inc., a company focused on streamlining food safety for chains with its digital checklists and new thermal scanner.

Convenience stores are starting to adopt standards that have already been proven in restaurants. “Automated food safety and shift management workflows help to ensure operational efficiency, save costs on labor, and can eliminate food waste. Digital checklists are streamlining operations and compliance for c-stores that are beginning to leverage foodservice software,” Stangle relayed. “As the store footprint expands, so does the number of items offered. Operators and staff need to adopt many of the same workflows and safety protocols that have proven successful in QSRs [quick-service restaurants].”

Add into the mix curbside pickup and delivery, more prepared food, stay-athome meal kit options and digital grocery carts, it all adds up to higher standards and expectations for a better customer experience that ensures food safety, quality and consistency, according to Jim Hardeman, chief marketing officer and chief product officer at CMX, a provider of cloud-based enterprise quality management software.

CMX recently partnered with Mojix, a supplier of item-level intelligence solutions, to advance comprehensive end-to-end traceability and food safety. A channel-specific version of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety system offers a viable approach for c-stores to address today’s new standards.

“For many decades, HACCP has been successfully applied in food processing facilities, helping manufacturers produce safe food for their consumers. Convenience stores should consider implementing a modified ‘Process’ HACCP approach to fit their businesses,” Hardeman advised, detailing that this means looking at the whole flow of food through the establishment — from receiving to sales — and identifying points where food safety is likely to be compromised.

The retailer then sets critical limits, which may include pH levels, temperatures or salt concentration, in order to maintain a safe environment and prevent, eliminate or reduce food safety hazards to an acceptable level. It is critical to keep detailed monitoring procedures. Ideally, digital checklists, digital verification and digital operational routines should be set to verify whether the HACCP system is working.

“Digitizing this process offers retailers a scalable, trackable and efficient way to adapt to the new safety demands emerging today, including those created by the pandemic,” Hardeman said.

Key Trends in Food Safety Technology

Experts point to these technologies as leading the way in the food safety arena:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) & computerized tracking • Bluetooth low energy (BLe) probes • Digital task management • Digital checklists • Digital traceability • IoT sensors • Remote temperature monitoring systems • Shift management tools • TPHC (Time as a Public Health Control) alerts • Two-dimensional (2D) barcodes

All Aboard

For modernized food safety to gain ground in c-stores, store-level staff must be informed and onboard with the new procedures. Education is always key, said Trevor Craig, food scientist and director of corporate consulting at Microbac Laboratories, a large network of privately held testing facilities in the United States.

“I am constantly surprised by how many people don’t know basic safety things like the danger zone of food storage and the risks associated with eating undercooked or exposed food,” he said. “A lot of people don’t even know where salmonella and listeria and e.coli come from and how serious those types of infections can really be, especially to those immune-compromised. And not just a c-store manager should know this, but everyone who works [inside the store].”

Donald Shindler, a food safety attorney with Clark Hill PLC’s Chicago office, recommends retailers provide bonuses and internal rewards to employees who cooperate and advocate new food safety standards and personal employee safety standards, and penalize those who do not, including with the loss of their job.

“Subject to individual health situations, government requirements and possible union labor contracts, mandates for vaccinations and masking as conditions for retention of jobs…appear to have been fully recognized by the courts and within the power of private companies to institute,” Shindler pointed out.

C-store operators need to get everyone onboard by providing food safety information, education and training. There should also be communication to all staff to create a team approach and foster a common understanding of the importance of standards, including the benefits to employees, customers and the organization, he explained.

Often, it’s when employees understand how food safety benefits them personally that they will be motivated to adhere. Vann Williams, director of strategic accounts at Steritech, a provider of food safety and operational assessments to c-stores, says retailers should convey to employees how the food safety checklist increases their paycheck or bonus pool, especially at companies where there’s a profit-sharing plan.

“Safe food is usually more profitable food,” he said, noting that less waste, less electricity, less money spent on maintenance tickets, etc., all contribute to more profit.

Williams advises c-store retailers to keep learning sessions “short, sweet and consistent.” Think in terms of five-minute training courses vs. five hours, he stressed.

The Steritech executive also offered a “common-sense” checklist to keep food safe:

• Utilize on-site timers and POS systems with alerts to check temperatures and/or dispose of food after certain periods. • Make checking on the safety of food part of the daily routine. There is a correlation between completion of opening and midday checklists and food safety performance. Count on your staff’s “muscle memory.” • Invest in the routine maintenance of equipment. Clean fans and vents regularly, and repair door handles to prevent employees from ripping gaskets just by opening the door the wrong way. • Follow the equipment manufacturer’s instructions on which equipment to use for which task. Do not overload units — they can only maintain temperature if filled at or below the intended capacity. • Stock shelves quickly. Employees will get distracted by customers while on the sales floor, so work in smaller batches to limit the amount of time product is out of a temperature-controlled environment.

Perspectives on the Future

“As c-stores develop more ‘kitchen-type environments,’ the food area will take a different shape — you can already see that in some stores that are labeling those areas as kitchens or cafes,” said Craig, who cautions that those stores that do not adopt this way will be seen as having reduced quality/reduced safety in their foodservice ops. The way Massi sees it, c-stores are becoming the new neighborhood restaurant, replacing restaurants that have closed permanently due to the pandemic. “They will be required to upgrade their offerings to compete with the remaining local restaurants,” she said, citing food preparation areas becoming larger and more like restaurant-quality.

Adopting new food safety standards is a matter of c-stores surviving and thriving or not, maintains Shindler. Those stores “wanting” in the area of food safety will likely lose customers, have negative public reputations, suffer reduced revenues, face claims and lawsuits, and eventually go out of business, he stated, while those that embrace, follow and publicize food safety will survive.

High-priority areas are, and will continue to be, where checkout/payment occurs, where ready-to-consume food and beverage offerings are available, and where customers access them. Shindler predicts more shields and more automation, especially in drinks.

Although it’s been reported that COVID-19 cannot be transmitted through food, surfaces will remain a top concern for customers, predicts Susan Flake, global director of business development food and logistics for Avery Dennison Identification Solutions. Post-pandemic, customers will still want continued peace of mind about sanitation and food handling.

All of the experts agree that the future of food safety in the convenience channel also will undoubtedly mean digitization. “The years leading up to 2030 will see the food supply chain become digital from the source to the consumer,” Flake said.

The pandemic has sped up the process for food operators, including c-stores, to transition to digitization. “Now that companies are understanding the value of the data they have and how IoT, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and automation can dramatically improve their operations, they won’t go back,” she said.

Ultimately, the biggest future impact of food safety will be on the consumer and the guest experience, according to CMX’s Hardeman. “By elevating food safety, c-stores will also protect their brand reputation,” he concluded. CSN