The Australian Food Industry

The Australian Food Industry- KFC Report
KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a chain of fast food restaurants which primarily focuses on the selling of original recipe fried chicken and other foods such as burgers, wraps, potato & gravy and coleslaw. The company was originally founded in 1952 by Colonel Harland Sanders, and since then it has expanded to over 9,000 stores in 86 countries. It first opened in Australia in Guilford, Sydney in 1968, there are now over 600 stores Australia wide. Since 1997 KFC became part of the YUM!Brands Corporation which owns other fast food stores such as Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
Along with other major fast-food restaurants, KFC plays a big role in supporting the Australian economy; in regards to employment, supporting local businesses and the Australian cricket (which links to culture and tourism). KFC provides Australians with permanent, casual and part time employment. Currently there are over 23,000 employees with 12,000 of them working casually. Employment is not only limited to the restaurants, there are a variety of jobs linked to the company from Truck delivery drivers to advertising directors. KFC supports Australian brands and uses local suppliers including Steggles, Tip top, Ingham & Edgell. The fresh produce/vegetables are sourced from east/west coastal farmers and the potatoes from Tasmania. KFC also supports and promotes Australian cricket which in turn creates more interest, allowing a growth in tourism for sport events. Providing employment and supporting local businesses allows the Australian economy to grow and further expand.

Constant research and development allows KFC to become a rapid growing fast food chain. The company constantly creates new food products and based on consumer popularity decides whether it should be continued. An example of this is the Double Crunch burger. The burger was first introduced in 2010 mid-year as a limited edition. Due to the popularity of the product and customer feedback it was brought back into the menu permanently. Research and development allows the company to alter its menu to suit the growing needs of the consumer such as convenient meals and meals for the whole family.

There are several Quality Assurance Strategies in place to make sure that food standards are achieved. According to the company ‘all KFC suppliers are independently audited by National Food Safety Consultants against internationally recognised food safety principles (HACCP) and KFC global standards’. Each supplier is reviewed to make sure they comply with the set guidelines and standards for food safety. The company also has mystery shoppers, which visit each store monthly and inspect it based on CHAMPS (Cleanliness, Hospitality, Accuracy, Maintenance, Product & Speed). Furthermore every employee is trained and certified in KFC food handling techniques in order to ensure food safety within the restaurants.

There are many jobs available within the corporation these include: * Customer Service Team members * Cook Team members * Shift supervisors * Store managers * Area managers * Other out-of-restaurant jobs such as advertising, franchising, promotions
Each position requires training programs that allows the employee to be equipped with knowledge relating to food safety, hygiene, appearance, cooking, first aid, customer service skills, threat management skills, cleaning and store management. Training generally lasts for about 6 months. Pay varies and is based on age, position and training.

From 2009 KFC replaced their normal plastic bags with compostable bags manufactured by Cardia Bioplastics. The company also joined up with the Closed Loop Recyling program which ensures that all KFC packaging and waste is recycled into new packaging, BioGas and nutrient rich fertiliser. It is estimated that from this 18,000 tonnes of recyclables are diverted from landfill every year. These are few of the strategies KFC puts in place to ensure environmental protection.

There are several ways that KFC gathers information in order to respond to consumer needs and influences, these include: * The website www.kfc.com.au * Getting into contact with the Head Office * Customer Service Hotline 1800 620 723 or customerservice.hotline@yum.com
Getting into contact with these allows a person to make an effective general enquiry, suggestion or complaint in regards to the food, quality or customer service.