Everyone now knows that HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point and everyone also knows it is the method by which the ‘advanced’ world assures food safety. Prior to HACCP food scientists and other food professionals used to rely solely upon post-testing. That is, take a sample of what you just produced and subject it to microbiological testing to determine if there are harmful bacteria and if so in what density!

 The problem with post-testing is obvious. By the time the food is tested in a laboratory to determine any extent of microbial contamination it has been produced, warehoused and possibly distributed in the case of a manufacturer or in the case of a caterer it’s even worse as it has probably been served and eaten!

HACCP enables food providers to put in place food safety systems that will as best as possible ensure food is safe to eat because the work is done before it is produced and served.

Critical control points once identified need to be monitored and records need to be kept. The records are evidence of a manufacturers due diligence and also serve as a traceable record in the event a problem occurs. If HACCP stands for food safety then DAN (Data Acquisition Networks) stands for AUTOMATED HACCP DATA COLLECTION.

 DAN automated HACCP data collection systems provide a mechanism whereby critical control point data is routinely captured and stored as evidence of due diligence. DAN systems also provide the flexibility for input of manual data and all data is then routinely transferred to a website where it is stored and becomes a permanent HACCP record.

DAN automated HACCP data collection systems send alarms and provide summary reports. The systems provide different levels of data access so the system administrator is in charge of what data is collected and who can have access to view it.

DAN can be contacted on +61 2 8838 2358

   

NEW AGE OF FOOD SAFETY HAS ARRIVED!

The DAN FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM automates the collection of your HACCP records! The system has two functions, Firstly, it can be easily connected to any existing (or new) cold storage facility by your own maintenance crew or electrical contractor and secondly, the system facilitates manual data entry for critical control points. All data is routinely transmitted to a data vault where it is evidence of your due diligence. Alarms are sent to personnel when corrective action is required. Automation of your HACCP records HELPS YOU ENSURE YOUR FOOD IS SAFE TO EAT and HELPS AVOID LOSSES attributable to temperature abuse

Doors being left open and storage temperatures set too low will cause refrigeration equipment to work harder, consume more energy and WASTE YOUR MONEY! Once connected, the DAN system enables you to save money.

SAVE$$$

FOOD SAFETY

Food Standards Australia[1] requires businesses to prepare and sell food that is safe to eat. Food causes illness because there are high levels of food-poisoning bacteria and these poisons are called toxins. “A way of preventing or limiting bacteria from multiplying or producing toxins in food is to control the temperature of the food by either keeping it cold or very hot”. Food Standards Australia requires potentially hazardous foods to be kept at 5^oC or colder and prescribes that it is “safe for food to be between 5^oC and 60^oC for a limited time only“. Health regulators and inspectors commonly refer to the range between 5^oC and 60^oC as the DANGER ZONE.

Food safety is becoming increasingly topical in all Australian states and the DAN AUTOMATED FOOD SAFETY MONITORING SYSTEM enables you to take control of your HACCP record-keeping. Based upon the data collected you will be able to make informed judgments on the extent of temperature abuse should it ever occur because you will accurately know the time period over which the temperature abuse occurred.

In addition the DAN AUTOMATED FOOD SAFETY MONITORING SYSTEM saves you even more money by removing the current labour time allocated to manual data collection and record-keeping.

SAVE$$$

DON’T ALLOW THE REPUTATION OF YOUR COMPANY TO BE AT RISK DUE TO INADEQUATE HACCP RECORD-KEEPING!

DATA - Automated HACCP Records

DAN data is automatically collected and retained as a permanent and independent HACCP record. Repeated tests demonstrate data collected by DAN systems is far more accurate and reliable than can ever be achieved by manual means.

Dan Server Data Freezer Coolroom Battery Voltage Date  Time  GMT Aver Max Min Aver Max Min Aver Max Min 16/10/2008 11:30 +1000 -18.8 -17.9 -19.3 2.1 5.2 0.6 27.9 28.0 27.7 16/10/2008 11:00 +1000 -16.1 -12.2 -18.1 1.9 3.1 0.9 27.9 28.0 27.6 16/10/2008 10:30 +1000 -15.8 -13.9 -19.1 1.9 2.9 0.9 27.9 28.0 27.7 16/10/2008 10:00 +1000 -19.8 -19.1 -20.1 2.5 5.0 0.9 27.9 28.0 27.7 16/10/2008 9:30 +1000 -19.1 -18.2 -19.7 2.7 4.1 0.9 27.9 28.0 27.7

 

ALARMS

Alarm messages by SMS and email alert you to food safety issues and enable you to take early corrective action. The DAN system also automatically provides a ‘log’ report of all alarms in the format shown below and enables you to review and improve response time to alarm conditions within your organisation.

Dan Server Alarm Input No Alarm Date  Time  GMT ID Description 15/10/2008 11:26 +1000 1 B Fridge Temp Returned to <5oC 15/10/2008 11:17 +1000 1 B Fridge Door Closed 15/10/2008 11:02 +1000 1 B Fridge Temp >5oC for more than 5 minutes 15/10/2008 10:49 +1000 1 B Fridge Door Open for > 15 minutes

MANUAL DATA ENTRY

The DE20 facilitates manual data entry of information that has historically been recorded on paper.

Log Entry Log Type Product Quality Start Temp Finish Temp Suppliers Logger Name Date  Date  Time  deg C  deg C  18/06/10 18/06/2010 11:26 Receivable Frozen Meals Accepted Hard Frozen N/R Carrier A Mary 18/06/10 18/06/2010 11:24 Receivable Frozen Meals Accepted Hard Frozen N/R Carrier B Joe 17/06/10 17/06/2010 17:27 Lunch Milk Accepted 4.2 7.0 N/R Peter 17/06/10 17/06/2010 17:26 Lunch Vegetable Accepted Hard Frozen 78.9 N/R Peter 17/06/10 17/06/2010 17:26 Lunch Casserole Accepted 4.4 79.9 N/R Roger 17/06/10 17/06/2010 17:25 Lunch Milk Based Desert Accepted 4.5 7.4 N/R Gavin

VISIT THE DAN WEBSITE OR GIVE US A CALL.

http://www.danmonitoring.com/

Phone: 02 8838 2358

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[1] Food Safety: Temperature control of potentially hazardous foods. Guidance on the temperature control requirements of Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements.

Food authorities around the civilised world require companies to produce food that is safe to eat. There are many aspects of food handling, testing and storage that contribute to safety and monitoring and recording temperature at various points is amongst the most important.

Data Acquisition Networks has developed a temperature monitoring system for food products that enables routine collection of temperature data as well as routine input of deep-meat and cooking temperatures. DAN’s temperature monitoring system for food products collects data and sends it to a website where it is available in the same way as we all access our bank account details every day. Therefore it is available to us but not to anyone else that we do not wish to have access to the data.

Contact DAN today (+612 88382358) to find out more about how our food monitoring systems can help you. You may also find the following document of interest. Food Safety

The answer to this question lies in:

1. The extent to which a temperature data logger automates the process of data collection
2. Whether data monitoring is continuous
3. Flexibility in system set-up

Temperature data loggers supplied by Data Acquisition Networks have an A+ rating on each of these criteria. Data collection is 24/7 and not just when someone has the time, data monitoring is continuous enabling food storage history to be tracked without gaps and the DAN website enables the user to logon much as you do to your bank account and change system parameters and set up alarms.

 Data Acquisition Networks is committed to ‘excellence and affordable solution’ for temperature data logging!

Organisations serious about food safety are thinking about more than just placing a temperature data logger on a storage room wall and asking someone in their organisation to write down the temperature twice a day! Experienced managers know that more is required.

Staff record temperatures for food storage normally when they have time to do it. When the area is busy (and there is no time to record temperatures) staff are going in and out of the chilled or frozen storage area, exposing it to outside temperatures and it is at these times that food temperature abuse occurs.

Data Acquisition Networks temperature data loggers not only ‘poll’ every input 19x each second they also report a maximum, a minimum and an average for every reporting period and DAN temperature data loggers keep monitoring 24/7. DAN temperature data loggers send alarms that provide a warning of climbing temperature and can also monitor how often and for how long storage room doors are left open which is a common cause of temperature abuse.

TEMPERATURE DATA LOGGERS

DAN Temperature Data Loggers are simple to install, inexpensive and very accurate.

DAN Temperature data loggers COLLECT and RECORD data in a way that it can be accessed remotely or by a number of users issued with password access. DAN Temperature data loggers also send alarms by email and SMS that alert to an approaching problem and provide sufficient time for corrective action to be taken. They also provide the opportunity to monitor more than temperature alone for no additional cost. For example, ‘door openings’ on a refrigerated room can also be monitored.

DAN Temperature data loggers can be used in a variety of applications all of which have temperature monitoring as a critical requirement. For further information on a number of these applications please click on the specific application immediately below or contact DAN on 02 8838 2358 or email sales@danmonitoring for a response to your temperature monitoring request.

Perishable & Frozen Food - Storage Temperature Monitoring

Temperature & ORP Monitoring - Food Processing

Temperature Monitoring - Restaurants

Milk Vat Cooling - Temperature Monitoring

Data Acquisition Networks equipment is used to monitor temperature in a variety of applications. The most often found is monitoring temperature for food storage.

perishable food products are highly susceptible to contamination when they are not stored and maintained at the correct temperature. The incidence of food-borne illness around the world is growing rather than diminishing. It is a heavy cost on the public purse and a significant inconvenience to those it impacts.

Most often, food-borne illness can be tracked back to improper storage so don’t delay . . . . . . . . . . .

 Contact Data Acquisition Networks
by email today and we will respond
quickly to your request.

If you prefer, Telephone +61 2 8838 2358

Food that is stored in coolrooms is perishable by nature and strict temperature controls are necessary to preserve the safety, integrity and shelf life of the product irrespective of whether the food is packaged or ready-to-serve.

Some foods that are temperature abused permit the growth of bacteria that can be injurous to health or in some circumstances, fatal. In almost every circumstance, a perishable food that is temerpature abused suffers a reduction in useable shelf life. At the expiry of its useable life food can lose physical structure, nutritional value or taste as the balance of flavours begin to break down. In some circumstances, all three can occur.

The outcome of temperature abuse at very best is the eating quality of the food can be corrupted and at worst, the food can be unhealthy to eat. KEEPING TEMPERATURE IN COOLROOM STORAGE AREAS FOR FOOD IS THEREFORE CRITICAL TO THE PERFORMANCE OF A FOOD UNIT.

HACCP requires operators to routinely take temperatures and record those temperatures in a permanent way. DAN units undertake that function 24/7 and at hourly intervals. Many food institutions have staff writing down temperatures several times a day which can miss times when temperature is lost. Also, some staff have been known to write down a tempreature that they know will not create a problem or investigation irrespective of what temperature they see. In a worst-ever-seen food establishment, a staff member was recording temperatures three days in advance because they knew they would be too busy to do it when it needed to be done.

 DAN systems send alarms to notify managers of a problem so that immediate corrective action can be taken.

Don’t allow the quality of the food you distribute to suffer because you do not monitor temperatures routinely. DAN systems cost so little yet offer much protection.

Call DAN today on +612 8838 2358 for more information.