2011 年食品服务行业聚焦

作者：Sonja Sobota；Rueya Ceylan，研究分析师

食品服务业是美国最大的行业之一。

美国劳工局的统计数据显示，食品加工和服务相关行业是大都市和非大都市地区职业群体就业人数第三多的行业。

有迹象表明，2011 年对餐饮业来说可能是极好的一年。行业分析师表示，销售额预计将攀升至四年来的最高水平。研究公司 Technomic 最近发布的一份报告预测，美国食品服务总销售额将比 2010 年高出 1.7%（名义上），而实际销售额仅下降 0.3%（考虑到通货膨胀因素）。如果这一预测成真，这将是自 2008 年以来最高的增长之一。

金融管理公司 Baird 的分析师戴维·塔伦蒂诺 (David Tarantino) 等专家证实了这一趋势。他在美联社发表的《福布斯》文章中表示，由于 2010 年连锁餐厅的销售强劲，他认为餐饮业正处于“调整阶段”，并指出“迎合高收入客户”的公司，如快餐和火锅连锁店，“将实现最大的稳定和增长”。

《今日美国》报道称，尽管美国就业市场依然低迷，但餐馆和其他食品服务场所自去年夏天以来就新增了10多万个就业岗位，成为2010年最大的就业创造者。

Despite its good influence on the economy, the high food consumption also has a major drawback: Obesity.  American obesity is rising in 28 states and adult obesity went up over 20 percent since 1991, reports the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).  This is the reason why food service industries have to participate in producing healthier and more organic-based food.

Food safety is also an issue. Even though America is one of the safest food suppliers in the world, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rates almost 80 million cases of food-related illness per year.  In response to this. the House of Congress passed a law for preventative control of food import and export in December 2010.

The food service industries also need to be more transparent for consumers because an increasing number of people get food allergies (such as lactose intolerance and nut allergies). The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 gives more protection to consumers. Members of the food service industry must now list all allergens and common names for ingredients in their ingredient labeling process.  In addition, menus must show all ingredients and the caloric content.  The goal for many providers is to supply a good-tasting meal with healthier ingredients.

Furthermore the food service industry has to struggle with increasing commodity prices. The United Nations is warning of another food price shock as corn and soybean prices are at their highest level in 2.5 years, and soybeans stockpiles at 30 year lows.  It could surpass the 2008 scare that triggered food riots in develping countries around the globe.  Economist David Rosenberg is warning: “We clearly have a global food crisis on our hands.”

据富国银行称，肉类价格，尤其是猪肉和牛肉的价格将比去年上涨两倍。

In the United States food prices account for, on average, 10 percent up to 14 percent of personal income (vs. about 50 percent in the developing world). Nevertheless, they have an impact on consumer confidence and job creation, and this time looks to be no different, especially combined with the tug of higher energy prices.

可持续发展

食品服务业也有很多提高可持续性的机会。公平贸易就是一个例子。

TransFair USA is a community that secures fair trade production, helping farmers produce the capital needed to buy the goods needed for their businesses.  One of their biggest members is Starbucks, which only uses fair trade beans in its coffee.  Transfair USA’s biggest job is empowering farmers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.  Fair trade, by definition,  also includes fair prices, fair labor conditions, and environmentally sustainable efforts.

By setting up green buildings, factories can produce energy-efficient products by reducing unnecessary energy or by using renewable energy.  This associates a reduction of CO2 emissions.  So far, the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC), a non profit organization, counts more than 18,000 members in leading enterprises and communities implementing this green technology.

食品库存管理

Food Inventory management means calculating, checking, and minimizing costs for food.

In restaurants, food costs are one of the highest controllable costs.  Dealing with food is a challenge because of its perishability.  As a fact, almost every ingredient has a limited shelf life, much of it less than a week.  There are large quantities of people and instruments that directly handle food inventory.  Regardless of size, even small restaurants need more than dozens of employees to produce, prepare, and finally serve the food to the consumer.  To manage profitability, restaurants turn to food inventory management within the organization.

食品库存系统控制复杂，难以在商店层面进行管理。较旧的基于商店的技术通常难以实施，因为它们通常需要最新的桌面解决方案。

For restaurant chains, centralized browser-based food management modules are considered by some to be a robust alternative.  Other advantages may include centralized ingredient and recipe management, managed inventory by an unlimited number of ingredients and count frequencies, computed real-time product variance, generative warning messages, established user audit trails, transferred product between locations, and record waste.