USB temperature monitor gives food safety boost

The XpressPDF temperature monitoring label, which has been developed by PakSense, monitors and collates information on the time and temperature of perishable items such as food during distribution and storage – which can then be downloaded using the label’s USB point.

Each XpressPDF label features an integrated USB connection point which can be plugged directly into a computer to view a product’s complete time and temperature history – including a graph and summary statistics.

The XpressPDF was designed for use “with perishable or temperature sensitive products, including produce, meat, seafood, poultry, dairy and wine,” ​as well as applications in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Better quality and safety decisions​

A spokesperson for PakSense told FoodProductionDaily.com: “They are incredibly simple to use and enable food companies to make better quality and safety decisions. They provide visibility into what happens to products during distribution and promote simplistic monitoring of the cold chain.”​

They will primarily be used in situations that require independent operation such as in exports, distribution centres and retail outlets.

According to PakSense, the label is gaining interest from across the food sector, particularly those who export products to the European markets.

“There is a tremendous amount of interest in the export markets. This makes sense because XpressPDF eliminates the need for proprietary software or readers.”​

“We have seen specific interest in using our labels to monitor product from the distribution centre to the actual grocery retail or restaurant location.”​

Closer temperature reading​

The monitoring label, which is about the size of a sugar packet, can be laid directly on a product and works by taking a surface reading.

This gives a closer approximation of the actual product temperature compared to readings given by previous temperature recorders, said the firm.

The use of temperature monitors in the food industry is essential in tracking certain foods that have been kept below temperatures that may result in a health risk.

EU food hygiene regulations state that manufacturers are required to have suitable temperature controlled handling and storage facilities that can maintain food at appropriate temperatures and enable these temperatures to be monitored, controlled and recorded.

Specific temperature requirements for foods “likely to support the reproduction of pathogenic micro-organisms or the formation of toxins,” ​demand that these food types must be kept below 8ºC unless the manufacturer recommends otherwise.