Final answer:
A manager must ensure reduced oxygen levels in the packaging for ROP meals, not colorful equipment or specific employee attire. Grocery stores keeping a lower temperature in summer may save on refrigeration costs, but not necessarily on overall energy consumption. Refrigerated and ventilated storage for produce helps slow spoilage by controlling microorganisms and ethylene gas.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer the question regarding reduced-oxygen packaging (ROP) meals, a manager opening a business that provides these meals must ensure that "C. Oxygen levels in the packaging are reduced." ROP is a type of packaging that decreases the amount of oxygen in the package to slow down the oxidation of food, which extends shelf life and helps to control the growth of aerobic organisms and spoilage bacteria. It is not about having colorful equipment, storing meals at room temperature, or having employees wear oxygen-reducing masks.
Grocery store managers might argue that keeping stores cooler in summer leads to less total energy consumption for several reasons. First, refrigerators and freezers will not have to work as hard to maintain cold temperatures, as the difference between the ambient temperature and the target temperature would be smaller. However, this must be balanced with the cost of cooling the entire store space, which can be substantial. It may not result in overall lower energy consumption due to the high energy requirements of air conditioning systems.