Monitoring Slaughterhouse Meat Shipments
Mini-Loggers Form A Low-Cost Yet Efficient Monitoring Solution
CHESTERLAND OH - CAS DataLoggers recently provided the data logging solution for a slaughterhouse which frequently shipped chilled and frozen meat products to far-off distribution centers and markets. The slaughterhouse had a constant and critical need to maintain the temperature of its many products in cold storage and avoid spoilage during processing, storage, and especially transport. Proof of adequate product handling was always necessary for management, as they could face serious financial losses and a damaging loss of customer confidence if they were unable to demonstrate that the correct temperatures had been kept stable throughout transit. The frozen food needed to be kept at -20°C (-4°F), and the fresh meat at -1.7°C (+29°F). If these mandatory temperatures were not stabilized throughout the entire shipping link of the client's cold chain, the meat would deteriorate and could in the worst-case scenario cause food poisoning. Therefore it was essential that accurate temperature records be maintained during shipping until the products reached their destination.
The slaughterhouse installed an ESCORT Intelligent Mini Single Trip Temperature Logger with Internal Sensor for each shipment inside the transport vehicle, placing the loggers in truck cabins so that personnel could frequently check their current temperature displays. The Intelligent Mini's internal temperature sensor operated at a range of -40°C (-40°F) to +65°C (149°F), monitoring at a resolution of 0.5°C (1.0°F) and with a high accuracy of ±0.5°C (1.0°F). The data logger showed the highest, lowest, and average temperatures after a button press, as well as the time spent under or over specification. For long hauls, the temperature logger could store up to 1868 readings on a 2 Kilobyte memory on a sampling frequency of every 1 to 255 minutes. Slaughterhouse management connected the logger to an office PC for quick data retrieval after deliveries to ensure best practices were followed.
The Intelligent Mini Temperature Data Logger served as a low-cost solution for the slaughterhouse, featuring a large LCD display with multi-function viewing capabilities and also offering customizable alarm settings and a programmable start function. Personnel had the option to program the logger in either Celsius or Fahrenheit. Downloadable via either serial or USB/serial connection with no special interface hardware required, the Intelligent Mini monitor had IP51 durability at a small size at 83 x 57 x 20 mm and 70-gram weight.
Slaughterhouse management also utilized the data logger's free ESCORT Console Software for easy programming and download, finding it to be intuitive and easy to use for setup and operation. The included software also performed user-defined data analysis, calculating pasteurization and fresh values, along with operators could define graph labels and view results either by time or increments. A Process Hygiene Index (PHI) formula was given for the proper processing of meat products, which guaranteed that safe temperature procedures had been maintained throughout the cold chain. Additionally, the Intelligent Mini supported data transfer to generic formats such as Excel for quick accessibility and organization of the information. Users were also able to view real-time conditions through PC interface while programmable password-protected security protected the readings.
The slaughterhouse benefitted from installing the Intelligent Mini Temperature Monitoring System in all of their frozen product shipments across several important factors. The data loggers easily monitored the chilled food so management would know exactly if and when the meat temperatures went out of specification, quickly identifying which parties were accountable. The results of the ESCORT Console software's PHI formula were recorded on hardcopies of the logger's temperature readings, helping to convince third parties of the slaughterhouse's correct procedures. This simple safeguard usually resulted in protection from lawsuits, prompt settlement of claims, and successful negotiation with any liable processors, warehouses or shippers. Any conditions that had gone out of specification were also heavily inspected to optimize the integrity of the customer's own cold chain, guaranteeing their high-quality product and reputation.
For further information on temperature monitoring solutions, cold chain logistics and transport applications, facilities monitoring and alarming, data acquisition and control, and data logging and remote monitoring applications, contact a CAS Data Logger Applications Engineer at (800) 956-4437 or visit the website at www.DataLoggerInc.com.
Contact Information:
CAS DataLoggers, Inc.
12628 Chillicothe Road
Chesterland, Ohio 44026
(440) 729-2570
(800) 956-4437
sales@dataloggerinc.com
www.DataLoggerInc.com
