FEATURE
or some other reason. Alerts can be sent directly via SMS to mobile devices or desktop PCs.
Invisible issues But it’s not only the outside elements that can cause temperature problems. Human error or equipment failures can also be a source of food products going off – the sooner you find out that you’ve got a problem the sooner it can be fixed saving thousands of pounds.
For example, if someone leaves a freezer door open it might take six or seven hours of rising temperatures before the critical stage is reached for the products inside. A power outage will have the same ‘slow-burn’ effect, with staff potentially none the wiser. And if power is restored and the temperature within a freezer or fridge start to rectify, who’s to know if parameters have been breached?
Environmental and temperature monitors not only detect and warn you instantly of spikes and dips in the conditions where food is stored, but the software also provides accurate, electronic data. This will impress the environmental health inspectors when they come to do an audit on your premises. So much better than disorganised scribbles on sheets of paper.
By deploying monitoring systems with access to up-to- the-minute data you are showing that you take food safety very seriously. If food is not held at the right temperature, then you are creating conditions where bacteria such as listeria and salmonella can thrive.
Out of sight, not out of mind As well as the obvious damage, leaks and water ingress can affect the humidity level in the building, which is difficult to detect without accurate monitoring systems. When timbers are wet and there is any kind of heat applied the moisture evaporates and affects the whole environment - and then you get mould and mould spores, which are especially unhealthy conditions for food.
But what about when food leaves the depot? There are solutions like WarmMark and ColdMark cards, on
www.tomorrowsfm.com
which indicators will turn red and purple respectively if the correct conditions are not maintained during transportation. These come at a fraction of the price of data loggers. There’s also an impact tool called Shockwatch, an impact label that warns if goods have not been handled with care.
Returns and recalls cost companies thousands of pounds a year. Extra costs are incurred by getting them back from the disgruntled customer, packaging the replacement and shipping the items back to the purchaser – if they still want them,
Monitoring systems and associated devices mean that you’re buying into a process that involves the shipper and the warehouse. You’re making a commitment to the end customer that you care whether a product arrives in the same perfect condition as it left the factory. Ultimately this could save companies the cost and reputational damage incurred if goods are spoiled.
It’s all about nurturing customers and their expectations by offering the highest level of protection to anything that’s temperature sensitive or fragile. If warehouses have got constant monitoring systems in place, then action can be swiftly taken to limit the potential damage caused by a leaking roof, faulty fridge, a door left open on a freezer or power outage – ultimately saving goods, time and money.
www.hanwell.com TOMORROW’S FM | 57
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