FOODSERVICE
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
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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.
