Importance of Measurement of Food Quality

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Food quality assurance and adherence to HACCP
regulations in
gastronomy.
Food- A matter of trust
Food is one of those few commodities where
customers demand safety along with quality.
This throws the restaurateurs into the enormous
challenge of serving safe quality food
which are compliant to numerous food norms
regulated by bodies like HACCP, and at the
same time manage their operational procedures
economically. In food sector, the
restaurants need to check many crucial
measurements at every stage of the process chain,
like temperature, relative humidity, cooking oil
quality, to name a few. Hence, the targeted
use of measurement technology helps to ensure
impeccable food quality, taking the HACCP
regulations into account.
Crucial measurements at each stage in the process
chain.
Transport Temperature monitoring and quality
data documentation in the transport of
foods is extremely critical. Some foods have a
certain refrigeration requirement in transport,
and the cold chain it requires may under no
circumstances be interrupted. With testos
transport data loggers, you can monitor every
step of the cold chain. The loggers travel on
your behalf in freight and loading rooms,
monitoring temperatures during the transport of
sensitive goods like food on rail, in the air or
on the road. At their destination, you see at a
glance whether the configured limit values have
been adhered to.
Recommended measuring instrument Transport data
logger testo 184

USB data loggers for measurements during transport

Immediate creation of a PDF report directly after
connection to a computer

Transport monitoring in compliance with GxP, 21
CFR Part 11, HACCP and EN 12830

The transport data logger family has six
different variants with display/without
display, use throw/multi-use loggers for
temperature/humidity as well shock
measurement and one especially for dry ice
applications (-80 C).
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Measuring transport conditions with testo 184
Incoming Goods
This is where foods pass over into the
responsibility of the receiver, whether, its a
supermarket, a restaurant, a retailer, etc, where
he has to be able to rely on receiving and
processing only impeccable goods. Immediately
after the supplier's arrival, the spot
temperature checks (or continuous measurement
during cold chain) are done either directly
on the loading platform or in the delivery
vehicle using portable temperature measuring
instruments which measure temperature either
without contact by infrared, or with surface
or penetration probes.
Recommended measuring instrument The
penetration infrared thermometer testo 104-IR

Single instrument for both infrared and core
temperature measurements

High-quality, robust folding joint for tough
working use

Precise 2-point laser with 101 optics shows the
exact measurement area, allowing
error-free measurements

HACCP and EN 13485-compliant
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Checking temperature in Incoming Goods with testo
104-IR
In storage
As a rule, food should be used up quickly, in
order to avoid unnecessary waste and
guarantee food safety. The "use by" and the
"best-before" dates are the most important
parameters here.
Dry foods These should be stored in stable
containers, above the floor and in dry, cool, well
ventilated and clean surroundings. Humidity is an
important parameter, as an excessively
high relative humidity favours the growth of
mould, negatively influencing the shelf life of
the food.
Perishable goods These should be stored in a
refrigerator or refrigerated room, with a
continuous observation of the prescribed
temperatures.
The food storage needs a continuous measurement
of temperature (surface and core) or
relative humidity to keep a check on the storage
conditions of foods. The continuous
measurement of temperature and humidity with data
loggers or data monitoring systems is
therefore preferable over manual measurement It
saves time, minimizes risks and ensures
quality.
Recommended measuring instrument Mini data
logger for temperature and humidity testo
174 H

Measurement data memory for 16,000 temperature
and humidity readings

Reliable measurement via humidity sensor with
long-term stability
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Easy data transfer by USB interface, practical
data analysis and documentation at a
PC (software ComSoft Basic available for free
download)
For more safety convenience Automatic data
monitoring systems such as testo Saveris 2,
in which temperature and humidity values are
recorded automatically and are then stored
on Cloud. Hence, you can access your measurement
from anywhere, anytime using your
mobile, tablet or PC. In cases of deviations, you
are informed by e-mail or SMS, so you are
always on the safe side.
In food preparation
After the food quality has been checked in
incoming goods and storage, these standards
must then also be adhered to in the kitchen. Here
too, the safety and quality of the foods
are of prime importance. The most important
measurement parameter here is temperature.
It is measured not only in the foods (core
temperature) using penetration thermometers,
but also in the oven (ambient temperature) using
measuring instruments with exchangeable
probes.
With a cooking oil tester such as the testo 270,
the proportion of so-called "Total Polar
Materials" (TPM)/ Total Polar Compounds (TPC)
in the oil is measured. If the oil is too old,
it shows an increased TPM value. This results in
the production of bad deep-fried goods.
Regular measurement of cooking oil quality with
the testo 270 prevents health risks and
allows the costs to be lowered during preparation
by preventing the oil being replaced too
early.
Recommended measuring instruments
testo 270 cooking oil tester

Ergonomic design for safer work

Clear, optical alarm thanks to unmistakeable
traffic light display
Penetration thermometer testo 104

Ideal for food HACCP-compliant, certified to EN
13485

Rubber-coated surface for non-slip handling

Robust metal folding joint with long measurement
tip
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Measuring cooking oil quality with the testo 270
In food service
This is the moment of truth. Main courses,
sauces, side dishes or desserts have been
prepared, all temperatures are in order and the
quality is right. But who wants to eat warm
salads or cold meat? To make sure that the
temperatures are spot on while the dishes are
being offered to guests in refrigerated counters,
heated displays or hot buffets, the right
measurement technology is needed here too.
Most refrigerated furniture and warming
appliances have integrated temperature sensors.
However, in order to have real certainty, and to
monitor the temperature at the serving
counter continuously, the use of a temperature
data logger is worthwhile.
Recommended measuring instrument
Mini temperature data logger testo 174 T

Measurement data memory for 16,000 temperature
readings, approx. 500 days of
battery life

HACCP-compliant and certified according to EN
12830

Data analysis three possible software versions
to choose from, basic software
available as a free download
For more info Write to info_at_testoindia.com or
visit www.testo.in