instore - June 2015 - (Page 3)

editor's note FOOD SAFETY Answering the Challenge A key takeaway from the Dairy-Deli-Bake Seminar and Expo in June was the rising importance of food safety to the future of the bakery, deli, foodservice and dairy business at the supermarket. Several speakers at the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association event shared new research and pertinent facts about what matters most to shoppers when it comes to food safety. Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert stressed the high stakes of food safety in his IDDBA presentation. "Consumers wake up every morning and want to know more about their food. And dairy-deli-bakery has become the most important department of the supermarket." The produce department used to be the supermarket's top driver for bringing shoppers into their stores, but prepared foods have changed all that. Consumers want foods to go, including flavorful bakery, deli and cheese items, from their favorite supermarkets. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity. "If you screw up on foodservice, you're out of business," Lempert warns. Supermarket delis, especially, need to make sure store employees are washing hands in view of customers and wearing sanitary gloves while preparing foods. New IDDBA research reveals 10 physical elements that inspire the most confidence in food safety among dairy-deli-bakery shoppers. These elements are clean floors, scales and slicers that look clean, thermometers on showcases/coolers, bright overhead lights, bright showcase lights, prepared food stations with sneezing guards, food temperature logs that shoppers could see, refrigerated cases that hold pre-sliced meats, cheeses and salad items, refrigerated cases that hold pick-up orders, and staffed demonstration/sampling tables. "Physical appearance is critical to this overall department," Lempert says. "Consumers don't like take-you-own samples. They're afraid of someone else touching the food. There's a time for sampling and a way to do sampling right." Lempert cautions that food safety matters to shoppers "every single moment" that your store is open and closed. Dairy, deli, bakery and foodservice need to be leaders in food safety, he urges. " It is single most important department of the store," Lempert says. "If we start leading, store sales will go up, and new shoppers will be attracted to your stores." John Unrein JUNREIN@SOSLAND.COM instore * JUNE 2015 * 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - June 2015

instore - June 2015
Editor's Note - Answering the Challenge
What's Ahead
Table of Contents
News - On Our Radar
Industry Research - Trending Donuts
Trendspotting: Pies
Trending Dips, Spreads, Toppings
Trendspotting: Sushi
Consumer Insights - Generation X
Diet Trends - Consider Trans Fat Free
Shopper Demographics - Still Getting Healthier
Nutrition Statistics
Seasonal Promotions - Trading Up for the Holidays
Specialty Foods - Asian Cuisine Takes Hold
Product Spotlight - Sweet Snacking
Specialty Cheese - French Cheese
Equipment - Labor Savers
Product Trends
Next Up
Product Showcase/Ad Index

instore - June 2015