Consumers are increasingly looking for convenient services1 that help them plan and prepare delicious and healthy meals. Meal kits are one example of a service that has risen to meet this need, from their introduction in Sweden in 2007 to the present, where over 150 companies offer meal kits in the U.S. alone.2 Consumers report that portion control, reduced food waste, a variety of food options, more meaningful family meal times, and the use of local food are key benefits of using meal kits.3 Consumers were also drawn to meal kits in the face of restaurant closures during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meal kits use a direct-to-consumer model of delivering perishable, pre-measured ingredients for pre-selected recipes that are then used to prepare and cook meals at home. Meal kits are likely to contain a variety of foods that, in the absence of proper refrigeration, present a high risk for bacterial growth, such as raw meat products, eggs, and dairy. Other ingredients, such as raw produce, may be contaminated by pathogenic bacteria at the source facility or are subject to cross-contamination during processing alongside raw meat ingredients. Meal kit manufacturers also often repackage ingredients into plain or branded packaging, which can result in the consumption of unexpected ingredients or allergens. The combination of these considerations is unique to meal kit services and has particular implications with regard to food safety.