Advice for food manufacturers, trade and gastronomy – In order to ensure safe and sterile food at all times, from production and transport to preparation and sale, important parameters such as temperature and humidity must be monitored and recorded. It’s very easy with the right measuring devices – and you can even save money with them in day-to-day operations.
Safe food from production to the counter
Whether quality manager in food service or wholesale and retail, restaurateurs or manufacturers: for anyone who produces, prepares or sells food, ensuring hygiene and quality is an essential task. Those responsible face the same challenge along the entire value chain of food production – be it in logistics, wholesale and retail, in food service and catering, in system gastronomy or in company canteens. In order to guarantee the highest quality, from goods receipt to storage, transport and presentation in refrigerated counters and the preparation of snacks at the point of sale, the cold chain must always be maintained and safe food management must be ensured throughout. Food inspectors, authorities and experts also regularly or randomly check the hygiene in companies.
Recalls, health hazards, high costs: If food safety is not observed, there is more at stake for manufacturers, retailers and restaurants than reputation. Especially in times of increasing globalization and long supply chains, the importance of food safety is growing.
Important metrics for food safety
There are various metrics that are relevant to the assessment of food safety. The most important include:
- Temperature: The temperature is the most important parameter for hygiene and quality. It must be checked and monitored in all areas of handling food.
- Humidity: During storage, the humidity in the air can have a significant impact on the quality of the food. To ensure durability and avoid mold, it is continuously monitored.
- pH: The pH value of food also has an impact on quality and safety. Especially in the manufacture of products from meat and milk, it must be controlled.
- TPM: When using frying oil, decomposition products are produced. In order to measure the quality of the frying oil, the so-called total polar materials are determined. If the TPM reading is too high, the oil must be replaced.
Guidelines and standards for food
Inadequate cooling or heating of food is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness. However, recognizing limit value violations early and quickly does not only serve to avoid taste impairments or health consequences. When handling food, those responsible must also check and record all relevant measured variables because regulations, standards, laws and ordinances must be observed.
Which directives and regulations are relevant for food safety?
Controlled quality: In order to ensure food safety as best as possible, those responsible are required to follow standards and legislation. The following requirements must be met, among others:
- Food Hygiene Ordinance (LMHV): The ordinance obliges those responsible to set up, implement, maintain and continuously adapt a self-monitoring system.
- HACCP guideline: HACCP stands for “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points”. Identifying and eliminating all potential health hazards is a systematic approach to ensuring food safety used by the food industry worldwide.
- EN 13485: The standard contains requirements for thermometers used in the food industry. These include the type of measurement, the measuring range and the accuracy of the measuring device.
- EN 13486: Testing regulations for thermometers describe the test procedure, the environmental conditions and other requirements.
- EN 12830: The standard specifies the technical and functional properties of measuring devices for monitoring and recording air temperature.
Why HACCP?
HACCP is particularly relevant for food safety. The concept is based on preventing hazards in all phases of food production and handling. In doing so, those responsible must ensure that potential hazards in the processes are identified and eliminated or controlled before the food reaches the consumer. For this purpose, temperature limits are also set for all products that must be verified. Measuring devices with an HACCP certificate support those responsible in this.
In detail, the HACCP concept comprises seven steps:
- Hazard analysis: All potential hazards that can occur during food production are recorded.
- Critical Control Points: Identifying all points in the production process where control over the potential hazards is critical.
- Limits: Limits are set here to ensure that hazards can be measured.
- Monitoring measures: Definition of measures how the critical control points are monitored and controlled.
- Corrective measures: Here measures are defined that must be taken if the limit value is not complied with.
- Documentation: establishing procedures to ensure that the HACCP system is effective.
- Verification: All relevant documents and records are created to regularly verify the effectiveness of the HACCP system.
The HACCP concept is a preventive and proactive concept to ensure food safety. It is an effective way to minimize risks in food production and handling and to ensure food is safe and secure.
High level of food safety by measuring temperature, humidity and frying oil quality
Capturing temperature, humidity and other metrics is an important factor in maintaining food safety. In addition to verifiability and transparency, precise and documented measurement results can also bring cost advantages for those responsible for handling food.
Temperature: record values quickly and log them reliably
Whether in foodservice or in retail, capturing temperature with a compliance-rated food thermometer is essential to prevent food spoilage. Conformity assessment procedures replace the earlier initial verification: They are carried out by the device manufacturer to ensure identical product conditions.The conformity-assessed digital thermometer testo 112 is approved for official temperature measurements – food inspectors and quality officers also use the temperature measuring device with PTB approval for all areas of food inspection. The thermometer can be used with various attachable temperature sensors, offers a minimum and maximum value memory and is available with a water and dirt-repellent protective cover. Depending on the probe, its wide measuring range extends from -50 to +300 °C.
Humidity: Reliable data loggers ensure quality
To ensure food safety, the humidity of the ambient temperature in the warehouse or in production is also one of the important parameters. Data loggers offer long-term measurements to track the exact climatic development. In this way, those responsible ensure that the values remain within the limit values and that the quality of the food remains unaffected.The WiFi data logger testo Saveris 2-T2, with protection class IP 65, automatically monitors humidity and temperature, records the data reliably over a long period of time and sends it to the Testo cloud via WiFi. The measured values can be called up from any location using an internet-enabled PC, smartphone or tablet. If the limit value is exceeded, you can be warned immediately by e-mail or (optional) SMS thanks to the alarm function.
pH: More flavor and longer shelf life
Whether meat, sausage, delicatessen or dairy products: the pH value of food has a direct impact on food safety. The quality of the goods is also influenced by this, for example in terms of taste, color or shelf life.Those responsible for food production are on the safe side with the testo 206-pH2 starter set. In addition to a reliable measuring device for temperature and pH, the set includes calibration dosing bottles, protective cover, aluminum case and other accessories. The pH electrode offers a wide measuring range from 0 to 14 pH with an accuracy of ±0.02 pH.
Frying oil: reliably checking costs and quality
Frying oil is a major cost factor in gastronomy. The situation for restaurants and caterers has worsened again in the recent past due to enormous price increases. Identifying the right time to change the oil is not easy. If the frying oil is changed too late, the quality suffers; If you switch prematurely, you will incur unnecessary costs. A frying oil tester provides security here: It measures the proportion of the so-called Total Polar Materials (TPM) and reliably determines the quality of the frying oil. The TPM value is also a good indicator for an increased acrylamide content. A frying oil calculator shows the potential offered by regular measurement. With just a few clicks, restaurateurs can calculate their possible cost savings through smart, innovative measurement technology.The cooking oil tester testo 270 offers more safety and cost control than a visual or odor check by measuring the critical TPM values – in hot oil and without waiting. The measuring device is operated quickly and safely with three buttons. The backlight with traffic light colors gives a simple indicator of the quality. Regular measurement with the device prevents a change that is too early or too quick. In this way, users can save up to 20 percent of their costs.
The right measuring technology for maximum food safet
From production and transport to storage and serving: When handling food, there are high safety and quality requirements in all areas. Measurement technology plays a fundamental role in food safety.
As an experienced manufacturer of high-quality measurement technology, testo offers all the products that are necessary to meet the challenges at every point in the process chain in the food sector. testo’s food measuring instruments have HACCP International certification for safe use with food.
At reichelt, food manufacturers, restaurateurs and quality managers will find measuring technology – with intuitive handling and a robust housing – for all relevant measured variables along the entire process chain. The measuring devices, specially developed for use in hygiene-sensitive areas, support you in guaranteeing the high quality of your food products and in always confidently fulfilling all food safety requirements.
Images: Testo
