An Exploratory Survey of Food Safety Practices for Food Delivery Affiliated with Ohio Foodservice Businesses

Food safety should be an essential part of food delivery systems, but little is known about the implementation of safe food handling practices. To better understand safe food handling practices employed for food delivery orders within Ohio foodservice businesses, an exploratory study was conducted. Foodservice business managers and/or owners registered with the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance (ORHA) voluntarily completed an anonymous online survey about food delivery models, food delivery packaging, and hot and cold holding delivery practices. The survey was distributed to approximately 16,000 ORHA registered email addresses; 163 responses were received and 76 were analyzed. Over half (55%) of businesses only offered third-party delivery whereas over a third (36%) only offered direct-to-consumer services; remaining businesses (9%) used both systems of food delivery. Most respondents indicated practices were implemented to protect the safety of food during delivery. However, type of practice varied depending on delivery model, foodservice type, and business model. Survey results indicate foodservice businesses implement practices that protect food during delivery, but how that food is handled during delivery is not fully understood. Food safety practices should be monitored within different food delivery systems, and across establishment types, to reduce risk to consumers.