Which temperature monitoring devices are best when transporting food?

Food Transportation Temperature Monitoring Devices

When transporting food products such as ice cream, ensuring the correct temperature level is maintained throughout the journey is essential. A temperature breach during transit can result in defrosted and refrozen ice cream which is dangerous and can cause food poisoning. it’s important to use the right temperature monitoring devices based on the products in transport to guarantee product quality is sustained.

Many food delivery trucks currently use temperature data loggers. When a truck goes back to base the data from the logger can be downloaded automatically by radio into a database. Users are then able to view the temperature record for the day, that could show a chiller interruption which resulted in defrosted and refrozen food being delivered. Therefore, a data logger providing a retrospective view isn’t going to stop spoilt food being delivered.

Food distribution companies that use small ‘transit size’ vans find the chillers don’t have an engine to power them like larger trucks. So is a driver is to stop during a journey, the chiller is turned off. Without the chiller running the load can heat up very quickly and when the engine is switched back on the load begins to chill again to the prescribed temperature.

Companies receiving the goods often use an infrared thermometer which can be pointed to one of the boxes on the delivery and the temperature appears ok. this is because it’s blasted with cold air so the surface temperature would appear fine even though the internal core temperature is, or was, too high. This results in ruined food and possible food poisoning to the end customer.

Using a data logger for retrospective knowledge has its place, but not here. The best way is to use a system where the data is live and transmitting continually.

For information on which products are best suited for live data, contact us on +44 (0) 1462 688070 or email [email protected].