SUPERMARKETS Monitoring success
Jason Webb, managing director, Electronic Temperature Instruments discusses how supermarket refrigeration temperature monitoring is the future for food safety and preservation.
midst rising energy costs and the current fruit and vegetable shortage biting the UK, preservation and avoiding food waste is a prominent challenge for many supermarkets. Many are implementing measures to equip consumers with the means to preserve their food for longer, such as Co-op removing ‘best before’ dates on many of their fruit and veg products. Supermarkets are having to look introspectively at how they store and stock their produce in the safest, cost eff ective, longest lasting means. Due to the cost-of-living crisis, consumers have changed their purchasing and usage habits. Therefore, supermarkets must facilitate these expectations and necessary changes. In another move from Co-op in 2022, it removed ‘use by’ labels on its own-label yogurts. This followed a study from the Waste Resource Action Plan (WRAP) that found 42,000 tonnes – worth £100m – of yoghurt is thrown away from home fridges every year. This response from major supermarkets should help to enforce a change into how consumers approach their own food consumption and wastage. The responsibility of good quality, safe and reliable storage, before reaching the customers refrigerator, depends on the methods deployed by supermarkets to ensure maximum longevity of their fresh produce.
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Cold storage A key factor in this challenge is how produce is stored
It is essential that when both economic and environmental discussions are happening, food safety and standards remain at the heart of the conversation.
within supermarket refrigerators and cool rooms. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it is a legal requirement for businesses to store cold foods at 8˚C or below. This temperature must be monitored and maintained at all times to ensure the prevention of harmful bacteria, such as e-coli and listeria. There are steps that must be taken to ensure the consistency of these temperatures as per the recommendation of the UK Food Standards Agency. Things such as not overfi lling the refrigerators as a means to reduce the energy consumption, may appear to be an attractive cost-saving initiative, yet it endangers the consistency of temperature within the refrigerator. Overfi lling reduces the cold air circulation within the refrigerator and can lead to warm pockets forming and spoiling produce, even when the refrigerator as a whole has its temperature set correctly. It is essential that when both economic and environmental discussions are happening, food safety and standards remain at the heart of the conversation. An appropriate step to safe, consistent and long-lasting
18 January 2024 •
www.acr-news.com
food storage is to have high-quality monitoring equipment placed within the refrigerators. Real time temperature monitoring streamlines processes and procedures enabling all catering facilities, from supermarkets to independent cafes, to act immediately should any unforeseen issues arise. Wireless data loggers transmit data via the cloud which is stored locally on PCs and other devices. This means the user can access real, live temperature monitoring data wherever they are saving tremendous time and, in turn, money. While it may appear challenging for larger supermarket sites to combat this, technology has advanced to a point where individual refrigerators can be closely monitored and fed back to users and alert them of any inconstancies or changes. This real time live tracking of temperatures streamlines processes and procedures and enables supermarket staff to act immediately should any unforeseen circumstances arise. Technology allows for the transmission of data from the wireless data loggers directly to the cloud, which is then accessible remotely and stored locally on PCs and other devices. This means the user can access real, live temperature monitoring data wherever they are. Quick response action such as this can help save any food wastage through unexpected events, and potentially incurring further costs to the businesses.
Food safety At present, supermarkets are grappling with the
challenge of maintaining consistent stocking levels in their refrigerators and cool rooms. This poses signifi cant diffi culties for their operations and frontline staff . Legal requirements mandate that certain activities in the food supply chain must be carried out within specifi c temperature ranges. Consequently, it is imperative to monitor temperatures across various stages of the process. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans stipulate temperature guidelines for delivery, pre-cooking storage, and reheating. It is vital for food handlers to receive proper training, and appropriate measures should be implemented to safeguard the brand, business, staff , and customers. Supermarkets are bound by the same food safety regulations as restaurants and other food and beverage service providers. Therefore, stores can adopt the same HACCP-based safety protocols employed in the food processing industry, customised to suit diff erent conditions and production requirements. The application of HACCP principles is crucial for safeguarding food from various safety hazards including
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