The coronavirus pandemic that began in 2019 and continues to progress in 2021 has devastated the restaurant and foodservice industry and has changed food industry businesses for years to come. Restaurant and food service losses in sales were reported by the National Restaurant Association to have surpassed $185 billion between March and August 2020.1 One business model to address these losses is the more rapid expansion of off-premises sales. This business model includes the preparation of food for immediate consumption and home meal kits for pickup, delivery, drive-through, curbside, and even packaged food sales. Before the pandemic, off-premises sales were primarily pursued for the convenience of the customer (e.g., delivery) and as a means for a foodservice business to grow sales beyond restaurant visits, with cost being an ever-present limiting factor. However, now, during this pandemic, off-premises sales are driven primarily by public health as well as by a need to recapture lost sales due to in-restaurant dining restrictions.
Two food safety concerns of off-premises sales are the food safety risks associated with food preparation (generally caused by the hazards associated with foods prepared and served to customers for immediate consumption) and the additional risk of keeping the food safe after it has been prepared, including holding (e.g., keeping food hot or cold to prevent growth of pathogens), handling (e.g., preventing tampering with the food), transporting (e.g., preventing contamination of the packaging), and delivering the food to a customer (e.g., ensuring that the customer is not exposed to an infected delivery person). Because customers are ordering from a mobile app or website, they also may be at a higher risk for allergens due to the lack of avoidance messaging that is normally part of the in-restaurant ordering process.