A cooking oil management specialist has inked a deal with two large retailers to manage the use of oil in their instore deli cooking operations.

Minneapolis-based Restaurant Technologies will help Ahold Delhaize and Fry’s Food Stores, a division of Kroger, meet increased demand for grab-and-go and prepared foods.

The retailers will adopt Restaurant Technologies’ Total Oil Management System, which automates the entire life cycle of fryer oil. Grocery stores delis present challenges for oil management because they’re often located far from the store’s back dock, where oil is dumped, according to Restaurant Technologies. Employees are often asked to transport hot, used cooking oil through the store, increasing the odds of burns and other injuries.

"Automating our manual oil management process will help eliminate inefficiencies in labor and oil usage," says Dan Laviola, category manager for Ahold Delhaize. "Additionally, this technology will simplify our operations, help us improve food quality and, most importantly, provide a safer working environment for our employees."

Ahold expects to have the Total Oil Management System in place in 347 of its stores by the end of 2018.

The system has already been installed in 117 Fry’s stores in Arizona.