Modern Building Services

MODERN BUILDING SERVICES MAY 2023 15 Why is this a problem when it comes to temperature safety? Overfilling refrigerators and cool rooms with produce reduces the air flow and can lead to the emergence of hot spots – these are isolated places in the unit where bacteria can flourish. They are a problem because, even if you think you have the right temperature set on the dial, the reading is only accurate where the probe is placed. To overcome the issue, retailers must keep a detailed inventory of how much stock needs to be refrigerated and use this to keep storage as consistent as possible. When issues relating to refrigeration temperature do arise, it is essential that supermarket employees can respond immediately. Here, real time temperature monitoring capabilities are proving to be extremely valuable. Many supermarkets and food retailers make use of wireless data loggers – these devices transmit data which is stored locally on PCs and other devices used by staff via the cloud, who are able to access real, live temperature monitoring data wherever they are. This helps to not only run a tight ship that better maintains consistent refrigeration temperatures, but also enables companies to save a tremendous amount of time and money that would otherwise be spent on regular manual checks. What’s more, automating this essential process eliminates the prospect of human error. Using technology to track live temperatures will ensure refrigerators and cool rooms stay within safe limits. Furthermore, the ability to monitor both air and core temperature in these units enables supermarkets to make use of early alert systems to keep them one step ahead by acting on problems before they develop into serious food spoilage issues. Energy crunch adds pressure to get it right Food retailers, as with businesses operating in many other sectors, are also being pressurised to remain cost efficient in light of spiralling energy prices. Since the Ukraine crisis took off in the early part of 2022, overheads have soared as energy intensive equipment such as refrigerators became significantly more expensive to run. Meanwhile, as well as minimising energy use to avoid higher bills, supermarkets are also following laws to reduce their carbon footprint to zero by 2050. Alarmingly, according to a report conducted by Imperial College London and Sainsbury’s, a 2°C increase on today’s average UK summer temperature boosts the energy demand for refrigeration by 6%, adding yet more pressure on supermarkets to maintain effective refrigeration regimes. In response, the report aims to help global supermarket businesses reduce their contribution to global warming by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, all while keeping food and drink chilled at safe temperatures for customers. Indeed, as the research states, any attempts to cut down on energy costs should not come at the sacrifice of maintaining safe refrigeration temperatures. Health and safety issues are a supermarket’s biggest concern, their primary responsibility being to supply consumers with produce that is safe to eat and drink. The performance of their refrigerators is critical to them achieving this most fundamental of objective – if temperatures are allowed to pass beyond critical limits for a sustained period, the consequences of either having to dispose of spoiled food, or worse, put it on the shelves, can be enormous. This makes the keeping of consistent stock levels and real-time monitoring of refrigerator and cool room temperatures essential to the success supermarket operations. FEATURE AIR CONDITIONING, COOLING & VENTILATION More information can be found at www.thermometer.co.uk