Posts Tagged ‘food safety’
Temperature Monitoring for Food Safety
May 2nd 2011 – A major hospital within the NSW Hospital system has today passed its first paper-less food safety audit.
In late 2010 Data Acquisition Networks installed automated monitoring equipment into a major Sydney hospital and during the early part of 2011 has worked with hospital authorities to modify the system and data presentation to achieve a totally paper-less HACCP based food safety system.
The hospital has probes enabled on every cool room and freezer and through use of the DAN system, data is routinely collected and stored. Each day the hospital supervisor is required to logon to view the data. If either the supervisor does not logon or the cold room temperatures go outside preset levels, alarms are generated. In the event of an alarm the hospital is able to free-script corrective action.
Whilst the DAN system collects data 24/7 and makes the half hourly data available over the internet, the data can be presented in summary format and a sample is shown below.
|
Dan Server Data |
Hospital Coolroom | ||||
|
Date |
Time |
GMT |
Aver | Max | Min |
|
2011/4/30 |
11:55 |
+10:00 |
3.2 | 4.3 | 2.2 |
|
2011/4/30 |
23:55 |
+10:00 |
3.4 | 4.4 | 2.5 |
|
2011/5/1 |
11:55 |
+10:00 |
3.3 | 4.4 | 2.4 |
|
2011/5/1 |
23:54 |
+10:00 |
3.3 | 4.3 | 2.4 |
|
2011/5/2 |
11:54 |
+10:00 |
3.3 | 4.7 | 2.4 |
|
2011/5/2 |
13:54 |
+10:00 |
3.3 | 4.6 | 2.4 |
The table shows the average and the maximum and minimum temperature across 3 days, 2 reports for each day. If there is an issue of concern then the auditor and hospital officials can search behind the summary data and look at each half-hour interval.
Achieving a paper-less HACCP system does however require more than just collection of temperatures from probes in coolrooms. Receival temperatures from suppliers need to be monitored as does re-thermalised temperatures and sanitising details. Calibration records also need to be electronically maintained.
|
Log Reference |
Log Entry |
Product |
Cart # |
Start Temp |
Finish Temp |
|||||
|
Date |
Date |
Time |
deg C |
deg C |
||||||
|
11/05/02 |
2011/05/02 |
12:57 |
Lunch | Milk Based Dessert | 21 | 4.1 | 4.7 | |||
|
11/05/02 |
2011/05/02 |
12:56 |
Lunch | Potato | 21 | 4.1 | 73.1 | |||
|
11/05/02 |
2011/05/02 |
12:56 |
Lunch | Other main meal | 21 | 3.4 | 72.6 | |||
|
11/05/02 |
2011/05/02 |
08:19 |
Breakfast | Thickened Milk | 21 | 4.6 | 5.3 | |||
|
11/05/02 |
2011/05/02 |
08:19 |
Breakfast | Rolled Oats | 21 | 0.0 | 70.1 | |||
|
11/05/02 |
2011/05/02 |
06:44 |
Despatch/other | Vegetable Wash pH | N/R | 2.0 | N/R | |||
The table above shows a typical days input for meals served. Kitchen operators are able to enter data into the system with the minimum of training.
Recent enhancements by data Acquisition Networks allow for large numbers of recipes to be included.
Setting out on a journey to achieve world-class food safety is for some, a daunting thought! Electronically capturing data does not allow for manual modification of results however, when the challenge is accepted and DAN is working with you, the results can be outstanding.
Call Data Acquisition Networks today on 1300 973 180 to find out more about how you can achieve outstanding food safety through the adoption of paper-less HACCP monitoring systems.
CHANGES TO DAN TECHNICAL TEAM
During late 2010 Data Acquisition Networks made some important changes to the technical team as a part of our ongoing commitment to improve the quality of service to our valued customers.As we have moved into 2011 DAN now has a technical team in place with improved application understanding, a heightened awareness of the need to work closely with customers to achieve monitoring goals established by the customer, a commitment to ‘urgent customer response’ and a broader base of general technical experience and understanding.
We are now more confident than ever before that whilst the original thinking that led to the development of our revolutionary monitoring and data logging products remains in place, it has been supplemented with dedicated technical practitioners that will deliver outstanding results for our customers both now and into the future.
If the comments thus far coming from our customers are anything to go by, the changes we have made have been universally agreed to be outstanding!
If you would like to talk to us about your data logging needs please do not hesitate to contact us through sales@danmonitoring.com
Data Acquisition Networks supplies a range of monitoring units and data loggers that have application in food safety/HACCP, swimming pool monitoring, tank monitoring, temperature monitoring as well as a large number of other commercial uses.
FOOD SAFETY – 100% paper-free HACCP Records!
The DE20 developed by Data Acquisition Networks provides food businesses with the first-ever opportunity to totally replace paper-based HACCP recording systems with automated and electronic data collection.
Early prototypes of the DE20 have been significantly upgraded in 2011 to provide enhanced features and functionality. With easy installation of only one single wall-mounted unit a food business is now able to routinely collect temperature data for food storage as well as input data relevant to others critical control points. Summary reports and other new and ‘special features’ are available through use of the system. Data is accessed via the internet through security password and logon identification.
Contact DAN today on 1300 973 180 to find out more about this revolutionary, paperless instrument that takes away all the problems associated with manual based HACCP data collection systems.
HACCP
Every HACCP program requires attention to record-keeping. Data enables operators and those that certify HACCP programs to be certain critical control points are being monitored and that performance is within specified tolerances.
The problem with manual records is that people instinctively put them last when things are busy and it is when things are busy that achievement of specified tolerances comes under pressure. Automated data collection systems have historically suffered from the problem that ‘no-one looks at the data’. . . . . . . . . until now!
Data Acquisition Networks has developed a data collection system for HACCP that both automatically collects routine data and also facilitates the manual entry of data when no automated system is appropriate. Unlike other systems however the DAN HACCP system has fail-safes that ensure compliance. If supervisers do not login daily to view data alarms are generated. If manual data is not entered by prescribed times then alarms are generated. If CCP’s go outside prescribed tolerances . . . . . . alarms are generated. For each alarm DAN has inbuilt into the system the opportunity for a corrective action to be noted and if no corrective action is noted within a designated interval from the alarm being generated . . . . . . an alarm notification notifying the absence of a corrective action is generated.
The DAN HACCP system is all about ensuring food safety and not tolerating neglect or indifference to HACCP.