A study published in the journal Food Control reveals more needs to be done to ensure that the growth of dark kitchens is accompanied by effective food safety measures.
Dark kitchens offer ready-to-eat meals for delivery or takeout through online platforms, including social media, mobile applications, restaurant websites or via phone/email. The term ‘dark’ in dark kitchens refers to a lack of visible retail presence. In 2020, it was estimated that more than 750 dark kitchens were operating in the UK.
A study involving a survey and two focus group discussions with Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and 16 interviews with dark kitchen owners and tenants was conducted in England between April and May 2024.
The journal revealed multiple challenges faced by dark kitchen operators in managing food safety in shared spaces, food handling during delivery, high turnover of staff, and delays in updating menu changes with online aggregators.
There were struggles in maintaining hygiene and cross-contamination risks because of shared resources and conflicts over responsibility for pest control. Operators mentioned how the food handling practices of delivery drivers was concerning, based on consumer complaints.
Two strategies were shared by dark kitchen operators to address some of these challenges. They include training and more frequent food hygiene inspections.
A total of 123 responses were received from 91 local authorities in England. The majority had inspected a dark kitchen.
Issues found by EHOs in identifying and inspecting these sites included resource constraints, lack of dark kitchens’ visibility, multiple trading names, insufficient guidance from regulators, communication difficulties, difficult working conditions in some kitchens, and problems identifying where responsibility lies. Some dark kitchen operators were unaware they are required to register.
EHOs mentioned revising registration forms to ensure dark kitchens include details of whether they operate under other trading names. They suggested using fixed penalty notices as a deterrent for businesses that fail to register to create a financial consequence for non-compliance.
Councils sometimes need to rely on customer complaints or tip-offs from other businesses before they become aware of a dark kitchen. One issue was the uncertain or sporadic operating hours which make it difficult for EHOs to visit and inspect the sites. Another was the inspection of shared kitchen space used by several different businesses at the same time. This made the visit more challenging, especially in determining responsibilities and how staff from different operations ensure hygiene.
The study highlighted the important role that online aggregators, such as UberEats, Just Eat and Deliveroo, can play in supporting local authorities, as they have the ability to monitor and ensure vetting of food businesses before listing them on their platforms.
“This study indicates that more needs to be done to ensure that the inevitable growth of dark kitchens are accompanied by effective food safety measures. The operating model of dark kitchens pose different challenges due to shared kitchen spaces, multiple trading names and sporadic operational times,” according to the researchers.
