Anchor Packaging Inc., one of North America’s largest manufacturers of specialty food packaging, used by restaurants and supermarkets for take-out meals, earned the “High Hygiene” certification from NSF International for the BRC Global Standard for Packaging. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is the leading safety and quality certification program to ensure that manufacturers fulfill their legal obligations […]
Chipotle announced two big moves in its ongoing quest to regain customers after food-safety scares late last year stalled the fast casual’s explosive growth. This week, the Denver-based burrito chain announced a new loyalty rewards program, as well as the addition of chorizo in select restaurants. The new rewards program, called Chiptopia Summer Rewards, will […]
Ketchup and mustard, along with other assorted seasonings, have historically been the condiment grouping on restaurant tables, but mayonnaise was never part of the tabletop clique until now. New packaging and debunking the myth that commercially-produced mayo needs to be refrigerated have helped to push it to the top of the table, according to The NPD […]
Last year, several major limited-service chains from Subway and McDonald’s to Panera and Noodles & Co. made announcements with plans to clean up their menus by removing unnecessary additives and using more wholesome ingredients. Among the concepts leading the charge were Yum! Brands Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, which both nixed artificial colors and flavors. […]
Chipotle Mexican Grill reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, including comparable restaurant sales that decreased 29.7 percent over the first quarter of 2015. The chain’s first-ever quarterly loss comes after norovirus and E. coli outbreaks hit several stores across the country and significantly affected customer traffic. “As our sales are on a […]
Hospeco, a leading manufacturer of facility cleaning and personal protection products in North America, announces its expanded SaniWorks Foodservice Towel line with the addition of the new EPS (Enhanced Performance for Sanitizing) towel. SaniWorks EPS Towels are durable, extended-use towels constructed to be more compatible with quat and chlorine sanitizers. The new EPS towels will […]
Fast-casual burrito leader Chipotle is still struggling to regain its footing after E. coli and norovirus outbreaks last year sickened hundreds of customers. The company announced during an investment conference this week that same-store sales were down 26.1 percent in February after declines of 30 percent and 36 percent in December and January, respectively. Chipotle […]
Today, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) marked a major achievement in the advancement of food safety training nationwide. The association announced its acquisition of the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP), a U.S.-based certification body. NRFSP focuses on providing certificates for individuals seeking credentials in a variety of food safety disciplines. “We are thrilled […]
Chipotle completed its system-wide shutdown today, closing all locations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The company spoke with employees across the country during that time to update them on the food-safety crisis that has pummeled the fast casual leader in the last several months, leading to same-store sales declines of 30 percent and 36 […]
Chipotle will close all locations today, February 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to host a company-wide video meeting on food safety. The fast-casual leader plans to explain the E. coli and norovirus outbreaks to employees, as well as go over its new food-safety protocol. This new protocol includes preparing certain foods off site, […]
Chipotle’s recent series of food safety outbreaks rattled its investors and enough of its customers to see visits decline, but the chain’s strong base of teens and young adult customers continued to support the fast casual chain, finds The NPD Group, a leading global information company. In the quarter ending December, during which several of […]
While Chipotle remains embroiled in a public relations crisis, the long-lauded fast casual still cannot pinpoint the source of its E. coli and salmonella troubles. This information gap raises an unsettling question for all operators: How much supply chain transparency is truly available in the industry, and what sort of efforts can be done to […]
In an effort to bounce back from the food-safety crises that have recently plagued the brand, Chipotle announced it would close down all of its restaurants for a few hours on February 8 to hold a company-wide discussion on food-safety protocol. Company leaders also said at the annual ICR investor conference earlier this week that […]
In the U.S. food and beverage industry, it’s all fun, games, and shrewd capitalism until customers fall victim to a foodborne illness. It’s a lesson fast casual juggernaut Chipotle Mexican Grill learned last year following a series of E. coli outbreaks that have implications yet to fully unfold. A national consumer survey conducted by market […]
The news has gotten worse for fast-casual leader Chipotle. The Denver-based company, which until late last year had enjoyed a long string of positive growth and brand affinity for its “Food With Integrity” mantra, announced that its same-store sales decreased 30 percent in the month of December. In addition, comparable sales dropped 14.6 percent for […]
Subway has been announcing numerous menu improvements over the past few years as part of in its journey to make its menu even better. The brand reiterated its commitment to serve only eggs from cage-free layer hens across its 30,000 North American locations. The transition to cage-free eggs has already begun in select markets in […]
In a year when headlines featured a major ice cream brand recall, an expanding western U.S. drought impacting crops, and efforts to phase out artificial flavors and ingredients, Americans felt the top food news story of the year was the expansion of fast-food breakfast menu items to more times of day along with breakfast menu […]
“Natural” foods convey a sense of wholesomeness, without additives, chemicals, and preservatives, to consumers, finds the NPD Group, a leading global information company. On the surface, “natural” and “all natural” on a food label hints to consumers that the product is free of anything man-made, but that isn’t always the case, and consumers have requested […]
Chipotle, the leading Mexican fast-casual chain that is the 14th largest limited-service restaurant concept in the U.S., might have a perception problem in the wake of its E. coli scare earlier this month in the Pacific Northwest. According to the brand consumer perception service YouGov BrandIndex, 19 percent of adults 18 and over had a […]
Sani Professional, the food safety division of Professional Disposables International (PDI), and the Sani Professional Food Safety Advisory Council (SPFSAC) are now accepting nominations for The Sani Awards. The Sani Awards program celebrates innovation and excellence in food safety within the foodservice industry. These awards recognize and promote best practices spotlighting food safety. These areas […]
Subway announced that it has elevated its current antibiotic-free policy. The brand recently communicated a commitment to transition to only serving chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine. The brand confirmed that it is beginning to transition to serving only protein from animals that have never received antibiotics across all of its 27,000-plus U.S. […]
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