2025 FOOD SAFETY SERIES

The unseen risk: surface cleanliness and sanitation gaps

Surface cleanliness and condition are vital to food safety. Even small lapses can spread contamination. Consistent cleaning and maintenance are essential to public health and your brand’s reputation.

Learn how we collect our data >


YEAR-TO-DATE TOTAL ASSESSMENTS ACROSS RESTAURANTS, CONVENIENCE STORES, AND GROCERY STORES

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How well do you know the best practices for cleaning and maintaining food-contact surfaces?

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Based on data from 180,000+ assessments, Steritech has identified the most common cleanliness and sanitation observations, their key drivers, and actionable steps to improve food safety practices.

Explore the tabs for vertical-specific insights.

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With their diverse SKUs and departments, grocery stores are packed with opportunities for food safety breakdowns.
  • 13,681 Total grocery store assessments
  • 162,322 Total grocery store observations
  • 13.59% Increase in total Surface Cleanliness & Sanitation observations since 2024
In 2025, grocery stores experienced a 20% increase in food-contact surface observations.
CLEANLINESS OF FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES RISK
LEVEL 1: Directly associated with foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Mold on cutting boards
  • Grease buildup on cooking surfaces
  • Raw debris on ready-to-eat areas
  • Dirty utensils mixed with clean
  • Pink slime on tongs

PRIMARY DRIVERS

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Time and
workload pressures

mop

Cleaning and
sanitation lapses

 
CONDITION OF FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES RISK
LEVEL 2: Support, facilitate, or enable foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Cracked ice bins
  • Scratched cutting boards
  • Dull/chipped knives and utensils
  • Torn gaskets
  • Rusted surfaces

PRIMARY DRIVERS

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Training and
knowledge gaps

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Neglected
maintenance

The cleanliness of food-contact surfaces was ranked as the #3 risk across nearly all grocery store departments in 2025.
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When customers expect speed and convenience, critical food safety steps can be overlooked.
  • 13,267 Total convenience store assessments
  • 55,488 Total convenience store observations
  • 16.51% Increase in total Surface Cleanliness & Sanitation observations since 2024
Dishwasher machine cleanliness and condition were cited 88% more times in 2025 than 2024. 
CLEANLINESS OF FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES RISK
LEVEL 1: Directly associated with foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Residue on cutting boards
  • Caked build-up on oven surfaces
  • Heavy soil on utensils
  • Blackened pans
  • Char build-up on grill

PRIMARY DRIVERS

timer

Training and
knowledge gaps

timer

Time and
workload pressures

 
CONDITION OF FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES RISK
LEVEL 2: Support, facilitate, or enable foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Torn gaskets
  • Damaged serving utensils
  • Cutting board deeply scored
  • Pink slime on tongs
  •  

PRIMARY DRIVERS

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SOP and Procedure
Noncompliance

timer

Training and
knowledge gaps

Despite the slight improvement in observations, c-stores continue to struggle with cleanliness of food contact surfaces, in particular, fountain beverage nozzles.
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Efficiency is key during mealtime surges, but staff turnover and inconsistent training can lead to cleaning and safety lapses.
  • 128,500 Total QSR assessments
  • 404,857 Total QSR observations
  • 25.25% Increase in total Surface Cleanliness & Sanitation observations since 2024
In 2025, food-contact surface conditions in the drive-thru production line were cited 5,127 times—24% more often than at the front counter. 
CLEANLINESS OF FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES RISK
LEVEL 1: Directly associated with foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Heavily soiled utensils
  • Encrusted debris on spatulas
  • Stained cutting boards
  • Sticky films and residue
  • Build up on gaskets

PRIMARY DRIVERS

checklist

SOP and Procedure
Noncompliance

timer

Training and
knowledge gaps

 
CONDITION OF FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES RISK
LEVEL 2: Support, facilitate, or enable foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Scratched cutting boards
  • Chipped spatulas and utensils
  • Torn gaskets
  • Worn grill surface
  • Broken knife tips and dull blades

PRIMARY DRIVERS

mop

Cleaning and
sanitation lapses

timer

Neglected
maintenance

Food-contact surface cleanliness observations increased 30%, with cutting boards cited 750 more times than in 2024.
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Diverse menus and made-to-order meals can lead to rushed prep, multitasking, and missed cleaning steps.
  • 24,576 Total fast casual assessments
  • 126,083 Total fast casual observations
  • 1.23% Decrease in total Surface Cleanliness & Sanitation observations since 2024
Food-contact surface conditions were cited 14% more often on weekdays than on weekends in fast casual restaurants.
CLEANLINESS OF FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES RISK
LEVEL 1: Directly associated with foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Skipped utensil wash step
  • Wrong sanitizer ppm (parts per million)
  • Debris in damaged cutting boards
  • Encrusted debris/buildup on surfaces and utensils

PRIMARY DRIVERS

mop

Cleaning and
sanitation lapses

timer

Time and workload
pressures

 
CONDITION OF FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES RISK
LEVEL 2: Support, facilitate, or enable foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Chipped spatulas and utensils
  • Damaged pans and cooktops
  • Torn gaskets
  • Misuse of utensils
  • Cutting board deeply scored

PRIMARY DRIVERS

tool

Neglected
maintenance

checklist

SOP and Procedure
Noncompliance

Food-contact cleanliness issues accounted for 31% of total observations in Fast Casual Restaurants—more than double the rate in Quick Service Restaurants.

MOST FREQUENTLY CITED SURFACES

 Foodservice varies between verticals, but the data is clear: across 180,000+ assessments, these food-contact surfaces are the most frequently cited for cleanliness and condition issues.

NFSM-Slider-cuttingboard
Cutting Boards
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Gaskets
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Utensils
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Knives
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Ice Machine

Across most industries, the lunchtime daypart recorded the fewest food surface cleanliness and sanitation observations compared to other periods.

"Fewer observations during lunch is only half the story. When utensils and equipment are constantly in use during busy periods, there are fewer opportunities to evaluate food-contact surfaces. Don't let your guard down — putting off cleanliness and sanitation tasks substantially increases the likelihood of a food safety incident."
Todd-Franz
– Todd Frantz, Food Safety Technical Consultant

TAKE ACTION NOW

When you have a clear view of your food safety challenges, you can make informed decisions to reinforce safe, consistent practices across your organization.

Cleanliness of food-contact surfaces
FIX NOW
  • Replace sanitizer bucket if <100 ppm (parts per million) 
  • Wash soiled utensils immediately
  • Coach line cooks on cleaning practices
DAILY ROUTINE
  • Record cooler and food temps 2x daily
  • Wipe surfaces between menu runs
  • Follow/record cleaning tasks in logbook; shift manager verifies completion
LONG TERM
  • Add surface cleaning  to new-hire training
  • Audit procedure compliance monthly
  • Schedule quarterly refreshers and deep‑cleaning routines
Condition of food-contact surfaces
FIX NOW
  • Identify and dispose of  faulty utensils 
  • Degrease equipment
  • Submit maintenance work order
DAILY ROUTINE
  • Inspect boards and utensils at open/close and log any damaged equipment
  • Have shift manager verify completion
  • Post job aids implement pre‑shift huddles
LONG TERM
  • Review equipment condition during monthly audits
  • Schedule quarterly training refreshers
  • Set capital quarterly budget for equipment replacement

Your data tells a story. Ready to turn insights into action?

Fill out the form to schedule some time with a Steritech Specialist and make your food safety data work harder for you.

 

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*Data is from 180,024 food safety assessments from the first seven months of 2025.

Each year, Steritech analyzes thousands of assessments through our proprietary OnBrand360® platform. By sharing this wealth of data, we hope to give you a more holistic view of your business and competitors across industries, so you can benchmark performance, identify risks, and make informed decisions to strengthen food safety and operational practices.

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