‘Grocerant’ Rise Adds to Food Safety Concerns

Although the growing “grocerant” trend, in which supermarkets are increasingly offering prepared, restaurant-style foods, is showing strong favor among consumers, it's also leading to mounting concerns regarding food safety, according to new research from Port Washington, N.Y.-based research firm The NPD Group.

Despite the fact that the majority of U.S. consumers feel that foods in supermarkets are safe, the percentage feeling this way has decreased over the past 10 years as grocery stores have increased prepared food offerings. Some 66 percent of adults agreed with the feeling that supermarket foods are safe, while only 58 percent felt the same in 2016.

This news comes after a 30 percent increase in in-store dining and takeout prepared foods at grocers since 2008, with both areas accounting for 2.4 billion foodservice visits and $10 billion of consumer spending in 2015. More than 40 percent of the U.S. population has purchased foods from grocery stores, with Millennials showing strong activity here, as they use grocery stores less than other generations, but are upping their purchases of prepared foods at supermarkets.