Audit, Safety, Food Safety, Hygrometer, Bluetooth & Wifi, Cold Chain
Cold Chain Management in Loadshedding
Jan
It is about Thermal Monitoring!
“The see-sawing rolling blackout schedule is not only playing havoc with the economy, it is putting health and safety in peril.” – By Georgina Crouth*
It is not new to us in South Africa, the changes we are forced into after the nasty covid-19 swing in 2020. Loadshedding is affecting everyone. The lack of electricity is causing havoc in the working world, on our home lives with prepping meals and running our home appliances. Something that isn’t widely spoken about now is the impact it has on Food Safety.
Bacteria causing disease and illness contaminates our food supply when the temperature is not maintained. Fever, stomach upset, nausea, and beyond, unsafe food items can be fatal, especially for young children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
Suppliers are responsible for monitoring of the cold chain, which is critical for safe food. A loss in thermal control causes food to become spoiled and unsafe for consumption. Food Poisoning article listing the concerns of food safety.
South Africa is currently in the middle of a heat wave, standard for this time of year – January. Retailers are under immense pressure to keep the cold chain running smoothly.
So what products are affected by cold chain breakage in logistics?*
There are basically three products that are the most sensitive to a hypothetical break in the cold chain:
Perishable foods, such as fruits and vegetables, or unprocessed and unfrozen fish and meat.
Frozen foods, including both fresh and pre-cooked foods.
Thermolabile medications (heat alterable), especially certain vaccines must be kept refrigerated to ensure their effectiveness.
Where can the cold chain be broken?
- Loading / unloading of food and pharmaceutical items
- Storage
- Transportation
- Distribution & Sales
How can you monitor your cold chain?
The answer is fairly simple, the use of data loggers for your chillers, fridges, freezers, and store rooms to mention a few.
- USB Data Logger
- WIFI Data Logger
- Data Logger with probe
It is a cost-effective thermal monitor for your critical chiller units. They are run on batteries [approx.1 to 1.5 years] and don’t require an electricity supply. These nifty little gadgets retain all vital information. They transmit the information directly with wifi. Should your wifi go down, the information is stored and sent to your device once the wifi connection is restored.
Feeling overwhelmed? Contact one of our Sales Team, they will guide you on purchasing the right device for your needs. Call +27 11 728 6099 or info@pminstrumentation.co.za
Source Information: ***Images by Pixabay *Daily Maverick – Online News **Mecalux
