If you are in the food industry, you know how frustrating and time-consuming it is to have to manually do food storage and temperature logging. When it comes to food safety violations, that is the last thing you want to happen. The most common critical health violations center around food temperature logging. This is due to human error which involves incorrectly logging information, missing logging information at critical times, and violations related to thermometer access in coolers.
Thankfully, there are now simple ways that food industry workers can automate temperature logging and have data that is accessible and ready at any given time preventing any issues with inspections. The solution is remote temperature logging. We will be looking at why manual temperature logging holds many issues and how remote temperature logging solves those.
Issues With Manual Temperature Logging
The main issues that occur with temperature logging are broken down into three main areas:
- Inaccessibility of cooler thermometers: Thermometers are supposed to be visible but as inventory in a fridge piles up, they can become hidden. It makes them easily missed for logging data, and if a thermometer is broken, it can go unnoticed.
- Forgetting To Temperature Log: Even if your thermometers are visible, if someone just simply forgets to log data, then the record of the status of your refrigeration system is forever gone. There will be gaps that cannot be filled and if this goes unnoticed for some time, a bigger issue arises.
- Lack of response system when issues arise: If freezers are broken or a door is left open, action needs to be taken ASAP to resolve the issue. Usually what happens is that it is left for someone to notice that there is a problem, and if someone isn’t actively checking, this can lead to ruined food. Without a clear plan for consistently checking for errors and failures all while having a response plan, inspectors are bound to find issues that will put you in the red zone.
Solutions For Temperature Logging - Automated Food Temperature Logs
WIth manual logging, it is hard to correct issues long-term. It is unlikely for consistency to be kept and all issues to be identified and responded to. This is where remote temperature monitoring comes in. This technology provides automated food temperature logs, alerts when issues are detected, and sets you up to make corrective actions right away.
Remote temperature monitoring is achieved through sensors placed in your refrigerators and food storage areas that are constantly observing and recording temperature data. This information is easily accessed through a platform where you can look at the current temperature status and even previous data. Since this is all automatically logged, there is never a need for someone to manually record temperature data ever again. This data is always accurate and easily presented to whoever needs it.
It’s great that these devices record the data for us, but how does it solve the issue of having a response system if there are errors? The great thing about these sensors is that they will notify you if anything is off. Since remote monitoring systems hold all data, it is easy for them to compare what is going on currently to past data and identify if there is the potential for an issue. This is a very preventative approach so that if there is any issue, it can be dealt with before it gets out of hand.
Learn More About Food Temperature Logs
The convenience that remote temperature mentoring provides, alongside the removal of errors is something that no food industry business can ignore. If you are looking to improve your processes and ultimately improve your business, click here to learn more.
