Roughly 72% of people in the UK believe there is an issue with food fraud. What is food fraud and how can coffee shops and restaurants combat the issue whilst retaining consumer confidence?
In short, food fraud refers to the deliberate misrepresentation of food including false or misleading statements made about a product.
Food fraud can greatly affect consumer confidence resulting in reduced sales and loss of trust between consumer and operator. Here are 5 tips to help you avoid food fraud for your coffee shop or restaurant:
1) Keep A Small Food Chain
Having a small supply chain will make it easier for you to manage and monitor where your products come from. However, regardless of size, be sure to question suppliers on the measures they use to safeguard their products.
2) Source Locally
Sourcing locally is a great way to support the local community whilst helping the environment. Not only does it reduce transportation costs, but gives you the opportunity to visit the facilities or farms in person to guarantee products meet UK laws and regulations.
3) Careful Labelling
Labelling your offerings with information on food sources, ingredients and nutritional values allows customers to see what exactly is in the product they are buying, but also where it originally comes from. Sharing this information can introduce transparency between consumer and operator building on consumer confidence.
4) Generate Awareness
As a coffee shop or restaurant operator, you should generate awareness by informing your staff and customers on your methods to avoid food fraud. Voicing your concerns and making them visible will show you genuinely care about your customers and the quality of your offerings.
5) Identify Your Vulnerabilities
It’s important to carry out regular audits on your staff, technology, suppliers and stock taking methods to identify areas for improvements. Further training or adjustments of processes can also help to tackle the issue of food fraud.
Did you know, as part of our design services, we offer menu consultation where we discuss in detail your offerings and what we believe will be most suitable and successful for your coffee shop or restaurant operation? To find out more, please feel free to call 020 7060 3121 or email hello@offbeatcreative.co.uk
By Dawood Pathan