It may seem hard to believe that in 2019 many Americans were affected by foodborne illnesses – and from places you may not expect. Sports stadiums, school cafeterias, and hotel restaurants are frequent sites of food poisoning, not to mention multiple large-scale food recalls that have threatened consumer’s health over the past year.
Food safety is imperative not only for protecting the health of consumers and families, but also for maintaining the reputations of restaurants, grocery stores, and food manufacturers.
Here are 3 food safety trends for 2020 that are predicted to help this industry decrease consumer illnesses and increase food quality:
Consumers are voting with their wallets
Consumers are more educated than ever on what is happening in the food industry. High-profile food safety incidents from Chipotle and McDonald’s – caused by produce contamination and food being stored at improper temperatures – have pushed consumers to demand higher standards. Businesses from restaurants to food manufacturers are in the media spotlight to ensure they are complying with FSA guidelines and proactively embracing food safety standards.
Improved food labeling and product naming
Another area of consumer discontent is around expiration date labeling and food product categories. How do consumers know if a product is truly organic? Many restaurants, stadiums, and schools do not showcase details on where their food is from, and whether the food contains artificial flavors, hormones, or antibiotics. Consumers also want more accurate dates for expiration labels – not only for food freshness but also to reduce the chance of contamination leading to food poisoning.
Digital Solutions are increasing traceability
The food industry often struggled in the past to accurately monitor their supply chain. Important data on food temperatures and humidity, and the reliability of refrigerators and freezers, was difficult to attain. However, with the introduction of digital solutions for tracking the forward motion of food products, we will see increased transparency within the industry by using data to eliminate the chances of foodborne illness.
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Omni International is focused on providing high quality, reliable products for the food industry, including our numerous vinyl, nitrile, and latex gloves for all aspects of foodservice and food processing industries. View all of Omni’s foodservice and processing products here.