Foodservice 1728007 220946616 2008-06-22T10:16:34Z Closedmouth 372693 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/124.105.181.228|124.105.181.228]] to last version by 213.86.249.26 (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) {{Unreferenced|date=June 2007}} The '''foodservice''' (or '''food service''') '''industry''' (US English; '''catering industry''' in British English) encompasses those places, institutions, and companies responsible for any meal eaten away from home. This industry includes [[restaurant]]s, school and hospital [[cafeterias]], [[catering]] operations, and many other formats. The companies that supply foodservice operators are called [[foodservice distributor]]s. Foodservice distributors sell goods like smallwares (kitchen utensils) and bulk foods. Major foodservice distributors include [[US Foodservice]] and [[Sysco]]. Some companies manufacture products in both [[consumer]] and foodservice versions. The consumer version usually comes in individual-sized packages with elaborate label design for [[retail]] sale. The foodservice version is packaged in a much larger [[industry|industrial]] size and often lacks the colorful label designs of the consumer version. Foodservice sales to restaurants and institutions are estimated to be approximately $400 Billion, about equal with consumer sales of foods through grocery outlets. The foodservice industry is one of the largest employers in the United States. Major foodservice providers include [[Compass Group]], [[Sodexho]], 3663 First for Foodservice, [[Aramark]], and the [[Crown Group]]. {{food-stub}} [[Category:Food industry]] [[it:Ristorazione]]