Managing the Risks of Fresh and Prepared Food in a C-Store

Consumers are expanding their expectations of convenience store product selection.  Gone are the days when customers primarily thought of convenience stores as a quick stop for picking up a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, or a case of beer.  Today, consumers choose to shop at C-Stores because they can purchase most of the items they routinely need, including fresh produce and prepared meal items.  Fresh food selections include popular fruits and vegetables like apples, oranges, onions, and potatoes.  Prepared food includes store-made pizzas, fried chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, and more.

Unlike pre-packaged food, fresh produce and prepared foods come with a higher degree of risk.  Both have much shorter shelf lives–from a few hours to a couple of days.  To complicate matters further, many of these items need to be stored at the right temperature to avoid spoiling.  No store manager wants to hear that a customer got food poisoning from eating a store-prepared meal that employees didn’t discard at its expiration date or a selection that wasn’t properly refrigerated.  Finally, sanitation requirements from preparation to storage need to be strictly followed to avoid contamination.

What are industry best practices for managing risks of fresh and prepared food in a C-Store?

1. Perform background checks on your suppliers.  When purchasing food produced for resale by a commissary production facility, do your homework to evaluate food quality.  Don’t shy away from asking to visit the facility or ask for recommendations from other customers.  Ask your local health authority if any complaints have been filed against the facility and if the company’s licenses are up to date.
2. Ensure your employees receive ongoing food handling and safety training.  Your local health authority can provide you with information and resources regarding required food handling and safety training.  It’s crucial all employees know the rules and also adhere to them.  Some examples include rotating inventory correctly, checking refrigeration temperatures regularly, wearing gloves when handling food, hair covering requirements, etc.
3. Audit your equipment regularly.  Use an audit checklist provided by a food safety professional to ensure equipment is routinely cleaned and is operating correctly.  Several modern technology companies offer monitoring devices to alert you if a refrigeration unit gets too warm or a heating unit fails.
4. Hire a pest control professional to provide regular services.  All food can attract pests like mice, rats, and insects, but fresh and prepared foods are even more attractive targets.  Pest control services can spray for bugs, trap four-footed freeloaders, and give your staff recommendations for improving waste management procedures to limit your store’s vulnerability.
5. Have well-documented food preparation and handling procedures.  All employees should know your expectations clearly.  Good operational procedures will help ensure all staff members use appropriate food preparation and handling protocol.  Your local health authority can provide you with resources to build a functional procedure manual. 

Are you interested in learning more about how H&S Energy Group can help your business achieve its goals?

Succeeding in the convenience store industry is challenging.  By partnering with H&S Energy Group, we can help your business unlock its potential with new opportunities and achieve unimaginable success.  Our experienced team can assess your business and the markets each location resides in and recommend programs that will add more profits to the bottom line.  Contact us today, and let’s get started.