This movement is of particular importance to the foodservice sector because it is perceived as a major source of solid waste. One of the many first steps taken by a number of foodservice operations was the switch from foam to paper packaging. However, according to the National Restaurant Association's former president Harris Rusitzky, the biggest problem facing foodservice operators is the amount of confusion about what is and is not responsible solid waste management. It appears that the challenge for the foodservice sector is to educate not only its own customers but consumers in general of the environmentally-friendly practices the sector now has in place and is developing for the future. The CRFA feels that the current application of the GST to single-serving items such as milk at the foodservice outlet but not at the grocery store gives an unfair advantage to the retail grocery sector.
Food safety is of paramount concern to the foodservice sector.
In the past several years, a number of customers have died as a result of severe allergic reactions to food they have eaten. The CRFA has been very proactive in this matter and has developed an allergy awareness program designed to help the public identify which restaurants provide ingredient information through the use of a common symbol.