Food Thermometer / Thermometer for Food

Many foods have a limited shelf life due to their composition. Whether unprocessed or processed, given the right conditions, food can quickly be colonized by fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms that endanger human health. Their spread can be limited by adhering to certain temperature and humidity values, by cooling, heating, drying, cooking or other measures. For many foods there are specific specifications as to the temperatures at which they should be stored or processed. To measure these temperatures, there are different types of thermometers that are suitable as food thermometers.

Depending on the area of ​​application, ambient temperatures, surface temperatures or core temperatures are measured or permanently monitored. Depending on the task, food thermometers with different measuring principles and different equipment are used.

Contact measurement for the core temperature
Food thermometers that come into direct contact with the food must be easy and safe to clean. Many such food thermometers are equipped with stable rod-shaped stainless steel probes, the food thermometers are simply stuck into the goods to be tested. Glass thermometers and thermometers with suitable external sensors are also suitable for determining the core temperature in foods that do not offer a great deal of resistance to penetration by the probe, such as liquids. It is important that these food thermometers can be easily cleaned or sterilized at the points that come into contact with the food.

Infrared measurement for surface measurement
In cases where it is sufficient to measure the surface temperature, food thermometers with an infrared sensor are ideal. You measure quickly and only need visual contact with the surface to be measured. The food thermometer therefore has no physical contact with the measuring point and does not have to be cleaned as often. Many food thermometers display the area detected by the infrared sensor on the surface of the measurement object with a measurement spot light. This ensures that the sensor is correctly aligned.

Measurement of the ambient temperature
Food is often stored for long periods of time. Certain temperatures should be maintained during the storage period. The air temperature is therefore continuously monitored in many storage rooms. Adhering to the levels recommended for each foodstuff ensures that the taste and nutritional content do not deteriorate prematurely and that the stored foodstuffs can be used for their intended purpose.

Alarms
For certain groups and processing states of food, there is an increased risk of the proliferation of harmful microorganisms at temperatures between 4 °C and 60 °C. Some food thermometers have visual and/or audible alarms. These signals warn when preset values ​​such as 4 °C are exceeded or the temperature falls below 60 °C. Certain food thermometers allow you to select your own alarm limit values, while the limit values ​​for others cannot be changed.

Data storage and interfacesMany foods require temperature monitoring during processing and storage. The purpose of the control is to prevent damage caused by spoiled or underheated or undercooked food because the intended temperatures were not maintained for the necessary period of time. These food thermometers have storage options for the measurement data or interfaces with which the values ​​can be passed on directly to other devices. During heating, hot-keeping and cooling processes in the food industry, the temperature is usually precisely monitored and, in the event of deviations, heat is automatically added or removed via control circuits.

Companies in the food industry are obliged to comply with hygienic standards when processing and storing food. This includes ensuring that the temperatures of chilled or heated food are maintained. For this reason, the temperature of food is often recorded, especially during longer transports. Employees of the processing plants and hygiene inspectors use different types of food thermometers for the measurements. These thermometers for food are designed to measure the surface or core temperature of a specific food simply and reliably, or the temperatures in the storage or processing room.

Food thermometers for transport and storage
With certain foods, it is important that they are consumed quickly or that they are sufficiently refrigerated before consumption or further processing. In the case of chilled and deep-frozen goods in particular, it must be ensured that the specified cooling temperature is maintained. In the case of many refrigerated transports, the temperature is therefore recorded with data loggers during transport.

If the recipient of the goods is a company that processes or sells the goods, he is obliged to check the temperature of the goods upon delivery, e.g. B. with a food thermometer. Not only the appearance, the smell and the consistency are to be evaluated. The temperature upon delivery is to be determined as the surface and core temperature using a suitable food thermometer. The temperature data loggers included in the delivery must be evaluated immediately. All findings must be documented. If the specified temperatures are not observed, many foods may no longer be used.

The temperature when storing food is usually monitored by food thermometers in the storage room or in the refrigerator. Many of these food thermometers can trigger an alarm if the limit values ​​are exceeded or fallen below, so that immediate action can be taken if the cooling is insufficient. In many storage rooms, not only the temperature is monitored, but also the humidity in order to ensure the best possible conditions for the stored food. In the case of sensitive stored goods, a food thermometer should also be used to periodically check what temperatures the goods actually assume in the various storage areas.

Food thermometers in processing plants
In companies that process food, it is also important to comply with the hygiene regulations for storage and processing. Here, too, the main concern is that nobody is harmed by consuming the food on offer. That is why there are regulations, among other things, with regard to storage temperatures, but also for the temperature and duration of heat treatments for cooking, for breaking down heat-sensitive toxic ingredients and for increasing shelf life such as blanching, pasteurization, sterilization, drying.

Food thermometers tailored to the respective application can not only measure the temperature during the heat treatment, but also forward the measured values ​​to the automatic process control if necessary and save them to document the temperature curves.

Food thermometers for catering
When it comes to catering, it is important that the guests can be offered cold and warm dishes at the desired temperatures over the planned period. On the other hand, cooling or keeping sensitive food warm prevents the appearance and taste from suffering and the food from spoiling through physical, chemical or biological processes. The temperature of the food can be easily checked at any time with a food thermometer. Many food thermometers have a large measuring range and can be used for both cold and hot dishes. As a rule, it makes sense to continuously measure the temperature of both the chilled and the heated food with a food thermometer if the existing cooling and warming devices do not automatically monitor and regulate them.

Some food thermometers have fixed or adjustable limit values ​​and can provide visual or audible alarms immediately when the temperature readings are no longer within the desired range. Ready-to-eat hot meals, for example, should be delivered with a core temperature of at least 65° and maintain this temperature until they are served to the guests. In the case of hot dishes that are prepared directly at the place where the food is being served, the cooking process can also be monitored with a food thermometer. Chilled dishes such as desserts and salads should be kept at a temperature of less than 7 °C when they are delivered and thereafter.

To ensure that reliable readings are determined, food thermometers should be calibrated regularly. During calibration, the measured values ​​of the device are compared with suitable reference values ​​in order to determine the measurement accuracy. Calibration laboratories offer calibrations according to ISO standards or the more demanding DAKKS standards. When commissioning the calibration, it should be ensured that the temperature values ​​of the reference points are in the range that is relevant for the operational measurements.

In the calibration certificate, the measured values ​​of the comparison measurements, the time, the customer and the conditions of the calibration for the tested device are certified. The certificate can therefore be used to prove how accurately the food thermometer measured at the time of calibration.

The HACCP rules are established and are intended to ensure consistently high product quality by avoiding hygiene risks. Food producers have no interest in allowing food to spoil or placing food on the market that puts consumers at risk. In addition to cleanliness, checking the temperatures during storage and processing of the products with a suitable food thermometer plays an important role in hygiene concepts.

A point that is frequently mentioned in HACCP concepts is the monitoring of the cold chain, another is the control of the cooking temperatures and cooking times. The level of the temperature and its exposure time must also be ensured by correct measurements with other temperature measures to increase the durability.