Whether we grocery shop, dine out, or stop for takeout on a frequent or semi-regular basis, we all expect the food we purchase to be safe to eat. It is an expectation that the food supply chain works hard to meet, but issues do arise that cause food to be unsafe, requiring recall. While the problems often originate further upstream in the supply chain, there are plenty of cases for which contamination occurs at retail establishments—both grocery and foodservice.
Examples and data reinforce these challenges—for instance, a Utah grocery store1 was forced to shut down its meat department after Salmonella was found in ground beef samples during a routine government inspection, and an FDA report2 states that more than half of foodborne illness outbreaks that occur each year are associated with food from restaurants. Furthermore, research has found that 98 percent of intentional contamination cases occur later in the supply chain nearest to the consumer3 (e.g., at foodservice and retail establishments).