When working with food products, it is vital that you keep perishable items in an ideal environment to maintain their quality and ensure that they are safe for consumption. For many fresh foods this means storing them in an appropriate temperature.
There are many steps in the cold food chain, starting at the farm, through to transportation vehicles, grocery stores or restaurants, before finally reaching the consumer. It is crucial to the quality and safety of these products that an appropriate temperature is maintained through this entire process. That's why everyone that works in food service, regardless where they fall on the cold chain, needs a dependable and accurate refrigerator temperature monitoring system.
The Importance of a Refrigerator Temperature Monitoring System
Chilled foods should be stored or transported at a temperature between 0-5 degrees Celsius as a general rule. Frozen foods should never be kept at any temperature above -18 degrees Celsius.
If certain foods are kept at warm temperatures, they are at risk of bacteria growing them. At best, this makes the food unpleasant to eat, at worst, it makes it dangerous and a health hazard to consume. The flipside is that if food is stored at temperatures too low, the product may form ice crystals which damage key qualities such as taste and texture.
A refrigerator temperature monitoring system constantly records the temperature of both refrigerators and freezers. It has the ability to send instant alerts to staff members when temperatures fall outside of the appropriate temperature range, whether this be too high or too low. It is not enough to just frequently check the temperature in the storage area because even a brief temperature fluctuation can be dangerous for perishable products. Keeping an accurate record of all climate changes provides valuable context for food safety personnel about equipment functionality and the effect of opening and closing a unit. It also highlights periods of time when the products experienced an unsafe environment.
The Benefits of a Wireless Refrigeration Temperature Monitoring System
To take food safety precautions a step further, the quality assurance team should invest in a wireless refrigerator temperature monitoring system. Wireless temperature loggers provide additional features that make it easier and more efficient for professionals to adhere to cold chain requirements.
One example is their ability to pair with cloud-based software that allows staff to not only constantly record temperatures within storage areas, but do so with the ability to view the data at any time. This allows food safety personnel the ability to observe temperature fluctuations in real time, providing a better sense of the functionality of their refrigerators and freezers, as well as the types of environmental changes that have significant effects on internal temperature.
In addition to this, 24/7 temperature monitoring enables the device to alert staff when the temperature of the fridge or freezer deviates from the acceptable temperature parameters. This allows workers to immediately handle any problem as soon as it begins, putting them in a better position to remedy the situation before it escalates. This improves the rate at which food products successfully make it to their destination and cuts down on wastage.
Because these wireless temperature monitoring systems are equipped with WiFi capabilities, they have a remarkable amount of storage space for information and data. The data that they constantly record can be kept in a safe place, so if there is a problem, even for future team members to look back at temperature changes to identify patterns. This data is easily accessible to anyone with a smart device and access to the cloud storage.
How to Select a Temperature Monitoring System
When selecting wireless refrigerator monitoring systems, it is important to take the intended use into consideration. For example different temperature loggers might be necessary for transportation and on-site storage. Thankfully, Testo carries a range of products to cover temperature monitoring needs across the entire cold chain spectrum.
The Testo Saveris 2 is ideal for any step in the cold chain. It is reliable, WiFi-capable and has plenty of storage. This means that professionals can access temperature data quickly and efficiently. Temperature data is transmitted and automatically archived on the Testo Cloud. Additionally, it alerts staff members of potential problems, which leads to minimal wastage. All that is required once the device is installed is to set an acceptable temperature range so that when the probe detects deviation, the device can automatically set off an alarm. There are a range of wired temperature probes available with the Testo Saveris 2 units to cover an array of specialist measurements and requirements.
For transporting chilled or frozen goods, the Testo 174T and the Testo 184 T1 are perfect options. The Testo 174 T is a mini temperature logger with ample storage and a large readable display screen. Its compact size makes it really easy to transport without compromising its usability and functionality. In addition to this, the Testo 184 T1 is an all-in-one temperature logger. It comes complete with accurate wireless temperature sensors, an easy configuration process, readable screen and the ability to convert data into PDF reports from every step of the journey. This product is ideal for transportation due to it being equipped with short -term data storage and compilation, as well as its ability to function in a range of environments.
Whatever your specific temperature monitoring needs are, a quality assurance team is better equipped for the job when they use a wireless refrigerator monitoring system that has ample storage, intuitive data compilation capabilities, WiFi compatibility and more. Furthermore, it should use temperature probes that are accurate and reliable so that professionals can have peace of mind in knowing that they will be alerted at the first sign of dangerous temperature fluctuations.
Testo New Zealand has a wide range of wireless refrigerator temperature monitoring systems. Get in contact with our expert team today for more information.