The food retail sector is the most important part of the food chain from a consumer safety point of view as it is the last step before food reaches the consumer. It therefore has the greatest responsibility for ensuring food safety, traceability and consumer information.
The food retail sector here includes grocery stores and supermarkets, where food is offered for off-site consumption.
Businesses can range in size from a small street corner store to a large hypermarket chain with a multinational presence employing tens of thousands of workers and having complex supply and distribution operations.