As both operational and perishable food costs continue to be critical to colleges and universities, Structural Concepts Corporation (SCC) recently commissioned two independent labs to determine the total costs of ownership associated with its own and other heated and refrigerated food merchandisers.

The overall findings showed SCC to have the lowest total cost of ownership over a 5-year period as compared to the other manufacturers. Differences in energy consumption, maintenance, and product loss costs contributed to the highest variations for the models that were evaluated. Other factors included were the time to uncrate, position, and start up the equipment, and the time to carry out cleaning and maintenance requirements recommended by each manufacturer.

With food costs on the rise, and school foodservice operators struggling to maintain their margins, SCC also conducted a holding chamber shelf-life study involving equipment from three manufacturers of refrigerated and heated food display merchandisers.

In addition to having the longest shelf life for most food products evaluated, SCC units also saw the lowest overall percentage of change in the quality of food over time. Additional cost scenarios related to the quality and safety of the food beyond waste and loss included the longer-term labor expenses involved in restocking the merchandiser.

In conclusion, costs associated with starting up the equipment, ongoing operation, and upkeep of the equipment, as well as safely displaying fresh food over extended periods were critical considerations in the total evaluation of the overall lifespan of a fresh food merchandiser.

To learn more, go to Structural Concepts’ Total Cost of Ownership Webinar structuralconcepts.com/scc-total-cost-of-ownership.