New temperature device for freezers

Arcolectric designed the Temperature Micro-Logger for fridges and freezers used for food storage, retail displays and prepared food outlets,. Processors are increasingly on the lookout for improved temperature measuring equipment for cold storage equipment, as more and more governments worldwide call for stricter safety rules for processing frozen foods. The new Micro-Logger is cheap, easy to install, and gives more accurate results, Arcolectric claim. The temperature range can be set between -30 and 80 centigrade (ºC), and if it exceeds safe processing limits, the blue light on the screen changes to red. The data is also logged in the device at time intervals ranging from one second to two hours. This information can then be downloaded onto a computer, where it is time and date stamped, providing documented evidence of storage temperatures, the company said. The manufacturer claims the device is easy to install as it comes with a simple 'snap-on' applicator, and can replace the neon temperature indicator traditionally found on freezers. In June, the EU published a draft Codex Alimentarius food safety code calling for stricter rules over how processors measure the temperature of chilled or frozen food products. Codex agreements, once passed, are used as an international reference point for harmonising national legislation worldwide. One aim of Codex is to prevent countries from using food safety regulations as a barrier to trade. The code would apply to the receiving, processing, handling, storage, transport, distribution, and retailing of quick frozen foods including fruits and vegetables, fish, meat, poultry and their products EU member states want processors to verify a temperature of -18ºc or below is maintained along the supply chain, and that it is recorded on a regular basis. The new Codex draft, completed by the US and Thailand, also incorporates good hygienic and good manufacturing practices, and the application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. HACCP is an international standard for assessing food safety risks in manufacturing plants. A prerequisite programme is described in the draft, covering the essential requirements of hygiene in the production of quick frozen foods that should be in place prior to the application of HACCP. Other companies who have created new temperature-regulating devises to comply with new regulations include Spectrum Systems and Controls, whose new temperature sensor is designed for high moisture environments. Last month Deltatrek announced its new Digital Display Environmental Recorders that can record precise temperatures of between -20 and 150ºf.