Vending Impact on Food Safety: Food industry research firm Technomics says that the retailer meal solutions (RMS; prepared meals for takeout) category in grocery stores is growing 6-13 percent annually, depending on the venue, and that it is a growing profit center versus the usual low margin rest of the store. Basically, Americans are eating more meals prepared away from home but not necessarily in a restaurant. Since Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data suggests that most foodborne illnesses occur as a result of poor handling practices in the home kitchen or local restaurant, large chain retailers with a strong focus on proper food handling should result in lower foodborne illness. In fact, they could have a larger impact than the Foo...

TAGS – North America