Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc. is one of the largest wine and beverage wholesalers in the United States, delivering products to many hotels, restaurants, and liquor stores.
The distribution center in Las Vegas is large, accommodating up to approximately 1 million cases of wine and beverages at certain times. The center also features a kitchen for hosting events, as well as for testing new food and products to see how they pair with different beverages.
Kitchen ingredients include cheeses, vegetables, fruits, seafood, and other food items that require proper temperature control. After multiple issues with refrigerators and freezers, the team needed a continuous temperature monitoring system that would automatically send alert messages to mobile phones.
Problems with Traditional Temperature Monitoring
The kitchen has 4 refrigerators and 2 freezers, all of different sizes and located in the same room.
Before installing the Data Logger system, staff manually checked temperatures from thermometers attached to the refrigerators and freezers. This method required someone to walk around and read the values, and continuous monitoring was impossible when the team was busy preparing food.
The problem became even more evident during nights, holidays, or weekends when no staff were in the kitchen. If cooling equipment failed, temperatures could rise unnoticed.
According to food safety guidelines, when ingredients exceed approximately 40°F (4.4°C), the team has limited time to bring the temperature back to a safe level. If not done promptly, the food might have to be discarded to prevent consumer risks.
Previously, when refrigerator issues occurred, staff had to quickly transfer ingredients between units multiple times to maintain freshness. Therefore, a system that could detect abnormalities faster was needed.
Installation of a Wireless Temperature Monitoring System
The kitchen installed six T&D RTR-502 wireless temperature data loggers, one for monitoring each refrigerator or freezer.
Due to the kitchen's equipment layout not being suitable for wiring, the wireless system made installation easier. The data loggers were mounted on the front of the units, while the external temperature probes were installed inside the ingredient storage areas.
Additionally, an RTR-500NW Network Base Station was installed to automatically collect data from all loggers. The Base Station was placed in a nearby generator room and had a backup power supply to ensure continuous monitoring even if the building's main power failed.
Chef Benoit Cornet configured the data loggers to record temperatures every hour and check alert conditions every 5 minutes.
If the temperature inside a unit goes above or below the set range, the system automatically sends an alert message, quickly notifying staff that a refrigerator might be malfunctioning or its temperature is rising.
Note: The RTR-500 Series has been discontinued and replaced by the RTR500B Series.
Alerts for Abnormalities and Return to Safe Temperatures
The system not only sends alerts when abnormalities occur but also messages when the temperature returns to a safe range.
This function reduces unnecessary trips, especially during nights or holidays, as the kitchen owner lives across Las Vegas from the workplace.
Upon receiving an alert, he can monitor whether the temperature has returned to normal. If the cooling system is back to normal operation, there is no need to rush in for an immediate check.
However, if the temperature does not return to a safe range, it may indicate a genuine equipment malfunction. The team can then take action and move all ingredients from the problematic unit to another refrigerator or freezer in time.
Prompt alerts reduce the time food spends at unsuitable temperatures and help minimize the risk of ingredients being discarded.
Cloud Storage for Audit Trail
The system is configured to send data to the T&D WebStorage Service every Sunday. This cloud service can store over 5 million data points, allowing users to view, save, analyze, or print historical data online.
Chef Cornet can check temperatures from his mobile phone anywhere and downloads data to his computer weekly.
The data is printed and stored in a file as evidence that the kitchen continuously monitors and controls temperatures.
When health inspectors visit, the team can immediately provide historical temperature reports, reducing the time needed to compile documents and demonstrating that the kitchen consistently adheres to food safety standards.
Results After Data Logger System Installation
The wireless temperature monitoring system allows Southern Wine and Spirits to track all refrigerators and freezers at all times, even when no staff are in the kitchen.
The RTR-502 comes with an external temperature probe, eliminating the need to purchase additional probes and allowing it to be installed in refrigerators, freezers, or walk-in coolers.
Stored data also confirms the kitchen's good operational practices and serves as documentation for inspections by health and food safety authorities.
The most significant benefit is peace of mind. When cooling equipment issues arise, the system provides immediate alerts, giving the team time to manage ingredients before damage occurs.
The same system thus serves multiple functions: temperature monitoring, abnormality alerts, prevention of ingredient loss, and data storage to meet food safety requirements.
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Reference: https://tandd.com/usage/wine-and-spirits.html
