With NRA in our rear-view mirror, operators are excited about what’s on the horizon.

According to Jill Carte with DayMark Safety Systems, a leading manufacturer of food labeling technologies, one key takeaway she and others noticed was the growing interest in technology in the fields of nutrition analysis and HACCP compliance.

There is also growing interest among operators with several locations to use platforms that communicate with their different locations; information is synchronized and can be accessed from multiple devices at the same time.

Addressing the growth of grab and go food items, Carte said some solution providers were exhibiting more advanced food labeling technologies.

“The more advanced systems now provide the consumer with ample information about the food products they select,” she says. “This makes it easier for the vendor to market the product; results in greater consumer trust; and with trust, improved sales.”

As for nutritional analysis systems specifically, Carte noted that the ability to provide accurate information to consumers is becoming more important to food service operators in light of upcoming regulations on menu labeling and—with regard to grab and go food items—food product date labeling. While federal enforcement of menu labeling currently is in limbo, many cities, including New York, are requiring establishments to comply on a local level.

Moreover, because operators want to be able to modify grab and go labels quickly and easily, print-on-demand labels continue to attract new users.

As demand for these systems grows, DayMark has teamed up with Nutritics to offer the new Menu Management program. Powered by cloud-based Nutritics Insight sofware, the system is a comprehensive way for food service operators to manage grab and go labeling and recipe and menu data.

“The versatility and multitude of functions that some of these systems offer have greatly improved in recent years” adds Carte.

DayMark’s Ed Sharek also noticed a greater interest in temperature monitoring systems that ensure HACCP compliance as well as proper temperatures. Some technologies were on display that allow this information to be sent to a centralized location for video monitoring and directly to kitchen staff via smartphones.

“We are starting to see a larger need for real-time updates and 24/7 monitoring,” adds Sharek. “

Of note, HAWK Safety’s all-in-one new system gives the user both of these benefits. Temperatures in the refrigerator or freezer can be monitored with sentries that utilize RF technology to send data to a temperature monitoring information hub. Additionally, the system features temperature probes that can perform line checks in accordance with HACCP protocols and a user-friendly online dashboard.

DayMark Safety Systems is the exclusive distributor in North America for both  HAWK Safety and Nutritics Insight.