Most equipment used in the foodservice industry has one thing in common: they help in food temperature monitoring to prevent spoilage and enhance food safety. Temperature affects food in many ways: it can cause the growth of bacteria, and it can also alter the food’s consistency when it comes to cooking. That is why food temperature control is vital in every kitchen and foodservice facility.
Temperature control
Many retail owners of foodservice facilities such as cafes and restaurants usually employ many freezers, refrigerators, and back storage cold rooms to ensure the freshness of food in storage. Quality food temperature monitoring systems use a wireless system to eliminate human error that results from manual checks.
Moreover, a food temperature monitoring system with automated record keeping and prompt alarm notification whenever present temperature boundaries happen enables retailers to ensure food quality and meet HACCP compliance regulations.
Humidity control
Humidity control is also essential, especially when food is stored for exceptionally long periods. Dry conditions can be hard to maintain because of outdoor temperature fluctuations that significantly alter humidity levels. Humidity control should be at 15% or lower to eliminate moisture in the air that is likely to have destructive effects on food in storage. Monitoring any humidity changes in food storage rooms is necessary to ensure humidity levels do not surpass predetermined levels and cause food spoilage.
Alarms
Food retailers must retain full control of the temperatures in food storage rooms to ensure they are working efficiently. The generation of alarms is essential to alert a user whenever temperatures are altered. For instance, alerting the user of an open refrigerator door provides a much faster response. Such tools come in handy in commercial food monitoring to ensure food safety.
The importance of temperature and humidity control in food storage rooms
It keeps the food out of the danger zone
Temperatures 40 and 140degrees Fahrenheit are a danger zone for food. When food is kept too long at a dangerous temperature zone, bacteria can thrive. Ideally, the temperature should be higher or lower than that.
Bacteria do not die in cold temperatures.
One of the myths many people believe is that bacteria die at cold temperatures, but that is not the case. What happens is that the bacteria go dormant and the only way to kill them is to subject them to a higher temperature which is why we must cook food.
Refrigerating food doesn’t mean it won’t spoil.
Food can spoil even when refrigerated because refrigeration only slows down bacteria growth. Therefore if left at improper temperatures, the food is likely to spoil.
Bacteria stops thriving at extreme temperatures.
At extreme temperatures, bacteria stop growing because they do not feed on anything and die.
final take
As you can see, temperature is the most crucial variable for food storage; therefore, monitoring and control are essential. Many bacteria that cause food poisoning become active when the food is kept in improper temperatures. As a retail owner of a food service facility, grocery store, food truck, restaurant, or convenience store, food temperature monitoring is necessary to ensure food safety.
