The Future of the Fast Food Industry and Robot Food Safety | Episode 63

Don't Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about the future of the fast food industry, more specifically the rise of automation and robotics in fast food kitchens.

You’ll get to meet Flippy, a kitchen robot that “mans” the fry station at a cutting-edge fast food in Los Angeles, California. Robots like this are here to stay so you’ll also get to hear all about what they mean for food safety in the restaurant setting.

Lastly, you’ll hear about the world’s most questionable pizza which has been made using construction equipment. PSA: do not try this at home!

In this episode:

💩 [01:02] Buying the plane tickets without a plan and being on YouTube

💩 [05:29] The disregard for food safety when it comes to the media

💩 [08:45] Flippy, the robot “manning” the fry station with the help of AI

💩 [11:37] How food safety doesn’t get portrayed on TV

💩 [13:18] Our points of view on restaurants with robot cooks

💩 [19:40] The shifts in the fast food industry over the past couple of decades

💩 [23:52] Foodborne illness outbreaks and automated kitchens

💩 [29:18] How to make a (questionable) pizza on a construction site

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Read Francine’s LinkedIn post about Flippy the robot and Food Safety here.

Check out the video from NBC about Flippy and other robots being the cooks at a fast food restaurant that Matt and Francine are dissecting in this episode, here.

Here’s Jim Miller’s LinkedIn Post about Jobsite Pizza, if you want to go straight to the video on Instagram that shows the whole bizarre process go here.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“The economics of fast food does not make sense if you want cheap fast food to hire full-time employees on a large scale. It just doesn't work. So, the robot thing is going to happen. It is here. Everything has to now evolve to match that, including food safety.” – Matthew Regusci

“I think that the technology is a good thing and we need it, the industry needs it. I'm also concerned about how it's going to operate and be monitored and are the employees going to be trained properly to take care of it properly.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

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Produced by Ideablossoms