 Ghost kitchens represent a small but growing segment of the foodservice industry. While Euromonitor research indicates there are currently about 1,500 ghost kitchens in the U.S., by 2030 these facilities are forecast to hold a 50 percent share of the drive-thru and takeout foodservice markets worldwide, according to Statista. Ghost kitchens have promise because of their ability to accommodate consumer demand for food variety, customized dishes and convenience in ways that preserve margins.
But the food safety challenges that ghost kitchens face can be steeper than those of their conventional counterparts. Sharing a kitchen can make cross-contamination harder to prevent and food safety consistency more difficult. Understaffing and high staff turnover can compound the problem – and the nonstandard working hours of the businesses operating these kitchens can make inspections inconsistent. Ghost kitchens rely on delivery drivers, which makes it challenging for operators to monitor quality and safety once food leaves the premises. They also rely on online platforms for communicating about allergens and ingredients, so any delays in updating those systems can put consumers at risk. What’s the best way to manage these hazards? Recently, Food Safety Magazine published results from an online survey, focus groups and interviews with environmental health offers and ghost kitchen operators. Respondents said formal food safety training for staff and delivery drivers would help, as well as more frequent inspections to encourage better adherence to food safety standards. Finding ways to ensure consistent practices was also a theme, with respondents suggesting comprehensive and specific guidelines for evaluating hygiene practices, allergen control and structural standards for all of the businesses sharing a kitchen. If you operate a kitchen alongside other businesses, what practices do you use to ensure food safety consistency?  Preparing meals for large groups can be a minefield when it comes to accommodating dietary needs and keeping guests safe. Food allergies alone pose a huge challenge. (Nearly 11 percent of adults aged 18 or older have at least one food allergy, and more than half of adults with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction, according to Food Allergy Research & Education.) Chefs have the task of dissecting the ingredients in a dish, retaining the intended flavors and textures when substitutions are made, and avoiding cross-contamination during preparation. How can they best accomplish that? Multi-layered communication is critical. Up through your supply chain, ensure you trust the consistency, accuracy and clarity of ingredients. Conduct ongoing staff training to emphasize the potential severity of food reactions and how easily they can occur. Collaborate with partners using digital tools that keep documents consistent and updated. On menus, use clear markers or sections to identify ingredients that may pose problems to some guests – and again, use digital tools to ensure you’re providing the correct version of an ingredient list.
Going back to basics may help too. At a time when the use of prepackaged ingredients is widespread in commercial kitchens, some chefs are relying on scratch cooking to deliver the precision they need. That’s what Michael White, executive chef in Food & Nutrition Services at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., and his team do. White says scratch cooking (often using local sources) helps him more closely oversee the ingredients that go into the 64 different diets the hospital must accommodate, which include mineral and calorie restrictions, as well as texture and liquid modifications. |
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