2025 FOOD SAFETY SERIES

Processes in peril: food handling & storage missteps

Small lapses like missed date-marking or improper cold holding can quickly escalate into larger risks. This week’s report explores how reinforcing discipline, oversight, and team consistency helps protect both customer safety and operational compliance.

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

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

Explore the tabs for vertical-specific insights.

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Processes like date-marking and cold holding often get shelved behind more immediate tasks, but they’re just as important to food safety.
  • 13,681 Total grocery store assessments
  • 134,927 Total grocery store observations
  • 15.87% Decrease in food handling and storage observations since 2024
Cold holding observations in grocery stores decreased 40.09% from 2024. Keeping chilled foods below 41°F helps slow bacterial growth.
COLD HOLDING RISK
LEVEL 1: Directly associated with foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Coolers above 41°F
  • Broken thermometers
  • Iced compressors
  • Torn door gaskets
  • Overloaded coolers

PRIMARY DRIVERS

door

Frequent door
opening

gear

Equipment
failures

 
EXPIRED FOOD RISK
LEVEL 2: Support, facilitate, or enable foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Deli meat
  • Milk
  • Yogurt
  • Tomatoes
  • Shredded lettuce

PRIMARY DRIVERS

calendar

Date marking
issues

arrows

Inventory
management

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Even on your most hectic days, consistent food handling and storage processes help keep your operations and customers safe.
  • 13,267 Total convenience store assessments
  • 55,488 Total convenience store observations
  • 12.92% Increase in food handling and storage observations since 2024
Improper date marking observations increased 26.67% from 2024. C-stores can help prevent this by instructing employees on a standard format with date, time, product, and initials.
EXPIRED FOOD RISK
LEVEL 1: Directly associated
with foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Cheese
  • Sliced meats
  • Opened dressing
  • Bulk creamer
  • Time/temperature controlled (TCS) foods

PRIMARY DRIVERS

timer

Training and
knowledge gaps

calendar

Date marking
issues

 
CONDITION OF FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES RISK
LEVEL 3: Related to sanitation, operations, facilities,
equipment, or maintenance
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Uncovered food
  • Food allergen cross-contact
  • Freezer iced over
  • Leaking cooler
  • Cracked pans

PRIMARY DRIVERS

checklist

SOP and Procedure
Noncompliance

timer

Training and
knowledge gaps

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Your team has a full plate, but strong food handling processes and discipline help keep food safety front and center.
  • 13,267 Total QSR assessments
  • 327,263 Total QSR observations
  • 0.08% Increase in food handling and storage observations since 2024
In QSRs, cold holding climbed from the 8th most common observation in 2024 to 5th in 2025, suggesting that even though food offerings are becoming more of a staple offering, there is still a need for increased training on proper food handling and equipment
COLD HOLDING
LEVEL 1: Directly associated with
foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Cold food above 41°F
  • Torn gaskets
  • Damaged door seals
  • Broken hinges
  • Cooler running high

PRIMARY DRIVERS

gear

Equipment
failures

mop

Cleaning and
sanitation lapses

 
GENERAL FOOD PROTECTION
LEVEL 3: Relate to sanitation, operations,
facilities, equipment, or maintenance
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Utensil handles in food
  • Uncovered food
  • Missing labels
  • Improper storage liner
  • Cracked containers

PRIMARY DRIVERS

checklist

Procedure and SOP
noncompliance

timer

Aged
equipment

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Consistent food handling and storage practices are the secret ingredient to safety and compliance during your busiest shifts.
  • 24,576 Total fast casual assessments
  • 109,232 Total fast casual observations
  • 7.20% Decrease in food handling and storage observations since 2024
In fast casual restaurants, scoops and tongs were the most commonly cited items for improper utensil storage.
COLD HOLDING RISK
LEVEL 1: Directly associated
with foodborne illness
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Cold food above 41°F
  • Logs incomplete
  • No cooling chart
  • Torn gaskets
  • Fan failure

PRIMARY DRIVERS

gear

Equipment
failures

checklist

SOP and Procedure
Noncompliance

 
IN-USE UTENSIL STORAGE RISK
LEVEL 3: Relate to sanitation, operations, facilities, equipment, or maintenance
COMMONLY OBSERVED
  • Utensil handles in food
    and ice machines
  • Utensils stored in container
    of sanitizer
  • Items without handle
    being used as scoop

PRIMARY DRIVERS

book

Training and
knowledge gaps

checklist

SOP and Procedure
Noncompliance

As a food safety best practice, Steritech recommends using the First In, First Out (FIFO) method of food storage and rotation to ensure that the oldest products are used first.
"Food safety starts long before food reaches the customer. Every step of handling, storage, and monitoring plays a key role in preserving quality, protecting customers, and upholding your brand’s reputation."
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– Kimberly Hay, Vice President, Client Experience

FREQUENTLY CITED ITEMS

Foodservice varies between verticals, but the data is clear: across 180,000+ assessments, these items are the most frequently cited for food handling and storage issues.

NFSM-process-slider-1
Pre-sliced lettuce/onion/tomatoes
NFSM-process-slider-2
Broken thermometers
NFSM-process-slider-3
Door seals
NFSM-process-slider-freezer
Iced freezer equipment
NFSM-process-slider-deli
Reach-in cooler/deli
NFSM-process-slider-6
Labeling

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.

COLD HOLDING
FIX NOW
  • Move all TCS foods above 41°F to ice bath or discard
  • Rapid‑chill remaining items in ice bath
  • Schedule immediate repairs for faulty coolers and refrigerators
DAILY ROUTINE
  • Review holding procedures with on‑shift staff
  • Log cooler temperatures every 4 hours
  • Wipe down cold‑well pans each shift
LONG TERM
  • Add reach‑in units to quarterly preventive maintenance 
  • Include Cold Holding benchmark on monthly manager walk‑through
  • Replace aging gaskets 
EXPIRED FOODS
FIX NOW
  • Remove all expired or unmarked items immediately
  • Check date labels at each prep shift
  • Enforce expiration log
DAILY ROUTINE
  • Implement daily FIFO check
  • Pull soon-to-expire product each morning
  • Manager verifies corrective actions before close
LONG TERM
  • Automate expiry alerts in inventory system
  • Audit procedure compliance monthly
  • Quarterly FIFO refreshers on dating policy
GENERAL FOOD PROTECTION
FIX NOW
  • Inspect and remove damaged racks or lids immediately
  • Assess allergen color coding compliance
  • Demo proper stacking and storage procedures for staff
DAILY ROUTINE
  • Use storage order checklist and monitoring log
  • Record cooler and food temperatures twice daily
  • Pre-shift reminders and huddles
LONG TERM
  • Conduct quarterly storage training and refresher courses
  • Schedule quarterly preventive maintenance on equipment and service coolers
  • Update SOPs and training based on trend data and recurring issues

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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