There are now over 154,000 convenience stores in the US – the only brick and mortar format that continues to expand, despite the fact that omnichannel lines between conventional retail and online experiences are continuing to blur.

Written by SmartSense | September 27, 2018 | Food Safety, Connected Facility

September is National Food Safety Education Month, and we wanted to highlight methods for preventing foodborne illness by monitoring commercial kitchen temperature. The CDC has reported that 48 million people per year get sick from foodborne illness, many of which are preventable. It is important for food service professionals to be aware of the primary types of food safety hazards, and the best methods of...

Written by SmartSense | September 25, 2018 | Food Safety, HACCP, FSMA

What is a “mystery shopper?” Despite the provocative name, it’s quite simply a hired individual posing as a customer to evaluate your restaurant. A spy – unknown to your staff – conducts an unbiased observation of staff performance, along with other key aspects of the dining experience. The objective is NOT to find reasons to punish your employees, but something that provides significant value: identification of...

Written by SmartSense | September 12, 2018 | Food Safety

Chipotle can’t seem to keep out of the news these days. Once again the chain closed one of its stores in Columbus, Ohio after the Delaware County health department received hundreds of calls reporting food poisoning attributed to meals purchased at the location. This incident occurred despite the new CEO who promised greater food safety surveillance to end the spate of outbreaks Chipotle has suffered over the last...

Written by SmartSense | September 5, 2018 | Food Safety

Food poisoning. No one wants to hear those words, let alone suffer through it, or witness a family member endure the ill effects. As we head into Labor Day weekend, don’t let warm weather negatively impact your food safety and put a damper on your outdoor activities.

Written by SmartSense | August 29, 2018 | Food Safety

With more than 50% of U.S. food dollars spent on meals prepared outside the home, safety inspections at restaurantshave become a core function of public health authorities to prevent the outbreak of foodborne illness. They’re also a topic of great interest to the consuming public.

Written by SmartSense | August 17, 2018 | Food Safety