Product category:
Personnel: Safety, Hygiene + Development
News Release from: Signatrol | Subject: Food safety Temperature logging
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 09 March 2006
Data loggers play crucial role in food
safety
No-one involved with food production, processing, storage or distribution can fail to be aware of the increasing number of regulations regarding food safety
No-one involved with food production, processing, storage or distribution can fail to be aware of the increasing number of regulations regarding food safety Last year it was Regulation No 178/2002 with its Article 18 on traceability
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 12 May 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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This year new food hygiene regulations in food production have become law across Europe, implementing Regulations 852/3/4-2004.
(Although these cover all food production, there is a special emphasis on meat and game production).
Delve into these regulations and one common factor emerges - the importance of temperature.
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There is little doubt that temperature is the single most crucial parameter which affects food safety and yet there are still many instances where effective measuring and recording of this measurand are not carried out.
Simple thermometers are still widely used but it is useless to measure temperature at fixed time intervals if the food sees unacceptable temperature excursions in-between.
Measuring temperature is one thing but ensuring a data continuum at all stages of the food chain is vital if the results are to be meaningful.
Brian Turner, MD of data logging specialists Signatrol understands the problems associated with ensuring this continuum.
"Ensuring food is produced, stored and transported at correct temperatures is an essential part of the traceability chain.
Fixed location traceability is relatively straightforward to implement and police, but the routings in modern food logistics can be very complex.
There can easily be gaps where temperature excursions go outside acceptable limits, without being detected or recorded.
It can be taken for granted that just because food arrives at the correct temperature that all is well.
Problems may only be highlighted when accelerated deterioration occurs or, more seriously, when consumers fall ill".
The growing use of data loggers is providing valuable data that can be used not only to provide the necessary information for the authorities but also help reduce waste and improve profitability.
Recording temperature data is now very straightforward and there is a wide range of portable and fixed temperature data loggers specifically designed for the food industry.
The portable loggers range from low cost units up to ones which are fully FDA compliant with the requirements for electronic signatures.
Significant developments in low power electronics and battery technology have enabled manufacturers to design smaller and smaller portable data loggers with longer recording capabilities.
These versatile and compact products are easy to use and can provide secure, tamperproof data portable loggers typically comprise of signal conditioning electronics, one or more sensors (either internal or external) built-in memory unit, clock and internal battery.
Unit configurations include.
* Single channel.
* Multiple channel-single parameter.
* Multiple channel - multiple parameter (for example temperature and humidity, or temperature, humidity and pressure).
* Portable data loggers can act as inconspicuous 'undercover detectives', following food consignments throughout the production and distribution chain.
They can travel directly with food or sit quietly in chillers or freezers, providing 'on the spot' data.
Units with visual and audible warnings make it easy to identify problems without having to down-load data.
Units can now be programmed to measure and record mean kinetic temperature (MKT*).
This has been shown to provide a more accurate temperature profile for sensitive products and MKT can be directly related to shelf life characteristics.
For applications in food processing plants and storage facilities, multiple point radio link data loggers provide the ideal solution.
The wireless technology means that the system offers significant savings in terms of wiring and installation costs, whilst providing the ultimate in flexibility.
Systems can be installed quickly and without any disruption to existing structures or buildings.
A typical installation consists of a base receiving station, permanently connected to a PC, and up to 256 remote monitoring stations.
Each station transmits secure data to the base unit and can have up to four sensor inputs, giving a total capability of 1024 channels per installation.
The frequency of data transmission can be set to meet the requirements of a particular application.
Effective data logging brings significant benefits to companies involved in food and food processing.
The ability to measure and store temperature data wherever it is required, at either fixed or mobile locations removes the errors and labour intensive drudgery involved with the manual taking, recording, interpretation and storage of temperature data.
Different types of data loggers are now available with a common software platform, thereby simplifying data integration between applications.
* In non-technical terms, the MKT converts a variable temperature into an equivalent steady temperature, which is then used to determine the effect of the excursion on product quality.
The calculation gives increased weighting to higher temperature excursions than normal arithmetic methods, recognising the accelerated rate of thermal degradation of products at higher temperatures.
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