Supermarket deli business is hot, hot, hot. In data reported by Supermarket News, deli-prepared food sales totaled $31.3 billion for the 12-month period ending August 27, 2022. These statistics reflect a 9.3% year-over-year growth and a 19.2% uptick from the pre-pandemic 2019 period.
Much of that growth is from prepared fried foods like fried chicken, potatoes, and vegetables, but supermarkets are often hard-pressed to meet the increased demand for these menu items because of inherent difficulties, such as handling cooking oil inside grocery stores, maintaining oil quality, labor shortages, oil storage, and safety issues.
A proper fryer management program can markedly improve convenience, safety, and quality and offer a measurable value add for supermarkets.
Improve Oil Quality, Improve the Food
Cooking oil is an increasingly expensive item but if that oil can be conserved by microfiltration, it’s a win-win. Microfiltration makes the oil last longer and the quality of food is improved – better taste and improved consistency for overall higher quality.
A fryer management company, such as Filta, uses proprietary equipment to filter cooking oil that’s still usable and efficiently, effectively, and safely clean any size fryer.
Reduce Labor Issues
Staff shortages have become commonplace, and supermarkets are not insulated from this problem. However, if grocery stores could outsource the cleaning of the fryers, replacing the oil and disposing of it when it’s no longer viable, they can remove this unwanted task from the employees. A fryer management company can take over this unwanted job, freeing up workers for other less-unsavory tasks, thus improving employee morale and alleviating this labor pinch point.
Oil Storage Problems Gone
Few things are more unappetizing, especially in a kitchen, than a bin of stinky and dangerous hot oil. Not only can it be an eyesore, but a hot oil bin can present safety issues, be a beacon for rodents and other pests, and lead to inspection problems.
Contracting a company like Filta to remove oil on the spot during regular fryer management service visits will vastly improve not only employee morale but the real logistical challenge of where and how to safely store waste oil bins and prevent spills.
Improved Safety
A critical benefit of outsourcing to a fryer management company is that having a professional handle cooking oil tasks drastically improves safety in supermarket kitchens.
Dumping hot grease from the fryer has inherent dangers and poses a real safety risk for employee injury from slips, falls, and burns. A company like Filta has the training, expertise, and equipment to quickly and effectively filter oil to make it last longer and then when the oil is no longer useful, remove it safely.
Wise supermarket decision-makers who outsource fryer management to professionals like Filta can experience improved convenience, safety, and quality and realize measurable efficiencies in the kitchens in grocery store deli departments.
