Dark Kitchens: One in Seven Food Delivery Businesses in England
- Fifteen percent of all online food retailers in England are now "dark kitchens"-delivery-only operations wiht no storefront-according to a new university study. This means one in seven food...
- Dark kitchens, also known as "cloud," "ghost," or "virtual" kitchens, have experienced rapid growth but lacked a consistent definition untill now, posing challenges for regulators and food safety...
- "People deserve greater transparency about the food they are ordering online, and these businesses must be held to the appropriate regulatory standards," said Dr.
one in Seven Food Businesses on delivery Platforms are ‘Dark Kitchens,’ Study Finds
Fifteen percent of all online food retailers in England are now “dark kitchens”-delivery-only operations wiht no storefront-according to a new university study. This means one in seven food businesses on major delivery platforms like Deliveroo and Just Eat fall into this category.
Dark kitchens, also known as “cloud,” “ghost,” or “virtual” kitchens, have experienced rapid growth but lacked a consistent definition untill now, posing challenges for regulators and food safety officers.
“People deserve greater transparency about the food they are ordering online, and these businesses must be held to the appropriate regulatory standards,” said Dr. Lucie Nield, co-lead investigator from the university of Sheffield. “Without this, dark kitchens risk falling through the gap, with potential consequences for public health, notably by encouraging increased use of online takeaways, greater availability and therefore greater consumption of high fat, salt or sugar food.”
Researchers emphasize that a shared definition of dark kitchens is crucial for clearer dialog, more effective regulation, and advancing public health initiatives.