While times have changed since the pandemic, safety is still a critical pillar supporting the experience you offer guests (and their perceptions of it). Your commitment to food safety sends a clear message about the hospitality you provide. When you find new ways to share your food safety practices openly with guests, you can build trust, boost loyalty and even improve your competitive edge.
Consumers increasingly want to know how their food is sourced, prepared and protected. There are all kinds of ways to offer real-time assurance –QR codes on packaging or signage can link to allergen guides, cleanliness standards, or kitchen certifications. Even simple steps like visible handwashing stations, staff using gloves and sanitizers, or checklists posted near prep areas can reassure guests that you take safety seriously.
Brands like MOD Pizza encourage guests to ask about prep procedures and cleanliness. They also post videos that show how their kitchens maintain sanitation during busy shifts. Panera launched a "No No List" of ingredients it refuses to use and has pushed public commitments on clean eating and sourcing. Its staff are trained to address food safety and allergen concerns directly with guests.
By proactively sharing your safety standards (and by extension, your ingredient sourcing standards), you signal care, professionalism, and respect. Looking at your practices, are there ways you can use transparency as not simply a regulatory necessity, but also a marketing advantage?

Approximately 32 million Americans have food allergies, according to the organization Food Allergy and Research Education (FARE). That amounts to about one in 10 adults, or two children in every classroom. As a result of the risks, real-time allergen tracking has become indispensable for foodservice operators. Even one oversight can lead to severe health consequences, legal challenges, and damage to a brand's reputation.
Fortunately, real-time allergen tracking tools are helping businesses at every level of the supply chain monitor allergens and manage their risks. Within foodservice, digital menu management systems, kitchen display systems with allergen alerts, and centralized training platforms are making it possible for businesses to update ingredient information in the moment and maintain consistent staff education. Here are some examples of how a range of food industry brands are managing the risk of allergens:
• Cracker Barrel, Wayback Burgers and TGI Fridays are among the brands using EveryBite’s SmartMenu technology across their locations. It lets diners filter menu items by allergen categories, including the top nine allergens. Every time a guest uses the digital platform, their SmartMenu allergen choices are collected as insights for the restaurant.
• Volanté Systems offers a POS platform tailored for foodservice operations. It integrates allergen alerts and dietary filters to assist in managing allergies, particularly in healthcare and senior living environments.
• Menutech automatically detects allergens using AI, allowing for real-time menu updates and compliance with food safety regulations.
• FoodNotify is a cloud-based tool that helps restaurants manage recipes with automatic allergen, nutrient, and additive labeling, ensuring compliance and real-time updates across menus.
• AllerGenius is an allergen detection technology that uses advanced molecular techniques to identify allergenic proteins with high sensitivity. It can screen raw ingredients for the presence of allergens before they are incorporated into food products. It’s helping food producers and foodservice businesses alike to understand what’s going into their food.
Across your operation – and up and down your supply chain – how is technology currently helping you mitigate allergy risks? Effectively containing these risks can help you foster guest confidence: Food allergy sufferers are a loyal group when they find brands who protect them from exposure.