The paperless kitchen is the modern choice for ensuring that compliance standards are met, and maintaining a safe kitchen – free from food-borne illness. In honor of Checklist Day – a holiday dating back to the 1930s when pilots fist began implementing a safety checklist prior to taxiing down the runway – Comark is providing a list of how, by incorporating the HAACP Touch HT100, chefs can rest assured their dishes meet compliance and food safety standards. Before you begin to prepare the day’s meals, check data recorded by the HAACP Touch. It collects, records and stores daily temperatures of items. This paperless data management tool simplifies and automates the important daily steps that can lead to food-safety disaster if not properly maintained. Check temperatures regularly. As food moves through the cooking process – from prep to cooking and holding … Read more
Proper handling, storage and cooking of venison offers the best protection against food-borne illness, after a recent investigation by Health Protection Scotland found raw venison products have been linked to an E. coli outbreak. E. coli (Escherichia coli) O157 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), when venison is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of no less than 160 degrees, any harmful bacteria are destroyed and the venison is safe to consume. It is critical for food suppliers to ensure their food-temperature safety strategies are optimized to help drive down E. coli and other food-borne illnesses that can fester and grow when food is processed, transported, stored and prepared in improper conditions. Fortunately, temperature-monitoring technologies are smarter than ever before. … Read more
Food safety technology is taking a more prominent role in kitchens and food processing facilities now. Handheld temperature monitoring devices and wireless data logging solutions are perfectly positioned to help food service providers take quality products to market, with customer safety as their primary ingredient. In this interview, we talk with Michael Hall, Director of Product Marketing at Comark Instruments, about the state of the temperature-monitoring industry, and the role Comark’s products are playing. Q. What type of temperature monitoring functionality is most “in-demand” now – particularly among restaurants? A. It is an exciting time to be a part of the temperature monitoring industry. Let’s say we have a restaurant following a food safety process and HACCP Regulations. It may have three freezers, two fridges, and a walk-in cooler – all of which need to be monitored throughout the day. That means someone … Read more
With delivering best-in-class Temperature Monitoring solutions and a desire for continuous improvement as primary focuses, Comark Instruments has announced the release of a new software upgrade for the well-established RF500 Monitoring System. “Providing innovative temperature monitoring solutions that meet and exceed our customers’ expectations is at the heart of what we do,” says Comark Director of Product Marketing Mick Hall. “By upgrading the already user-friendly RF500 software to the M9 interface, we are delivering on our commitment to continue providing advanced, compliant-focused solutions. The M9 software interface will enhance user experience, and provide customers with new levels of monitoring capabilities.” Developed with valuable insight from customers, the M9 software upgrade will bolster the Comark RF500’s software application with new features and technical enhancements that complement its existing industry leading 24/7 monitoring of temperature, humidity and door event data through energy-efficient … Read more
Attention rare burger lovers everywhere – the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has proposed new guidelines for preparing and serving rare burgers in food outlets. Because of the possibility for bugs in ground beef, past guidelines for businesses have recommended serving burgers well-done, with no pink in the center. However, the growing popularity and demand for rare meat have spurred the FSA to reconsider. The proposed new guidelines outline specific procedures to ensure safety throughout the supply chain, including strict temperature monitoring. Temperature monitoring is one of the most critical components of confirming that meat has been cooked to an adequate temperature for safe consumption. The P125 Pocket Thermometer, commonly called the Pocketherm, from Comark makes this easy. Chefs around the globe turn to the Pocketherm for quick and accurate temperature checks while preparing burgers, and it’s easy to see why. … Read more
Baking enthusiasts took note of most essential kitchen accessories that were on full display in Wednesday’s opening episode of BBC One’s “The Great British Bake Off” – including a folding thermometer. An estimated 9.3 million viewers tuned in for the season premiere to witness the first successes (and failures) of the competition, which pits 12 amateur bakers against one another to be named “Best Amateur Baker.” And if viewers are tuned in to the drama and decadent cakes, then producers are tuned into the latest in kitchen gadgets – like folding thermometers. Comark’s P125 Pocket Thermometer, or “Pocketherm,” is among the most popular food thermometer instruments for chefs. The functionality of a folding thermometer, like the Pocketherm, which uses color coded LEDs to indicate whether a product is frozen, chilled or cooked, was featured as the tool of choice among … Read more
From smoke houses and salt storage, to the early days of refrigeration, food storage technologies – and food safety solutions – have constantly improved. So what comes next in the life of temperature monitoring? The answer is automation. In recent years, temperature monitoring has relied largely on people. As with any manual task, human error can affect data consistency, quality and accuracy of that work, and in the case of monitoring, result in inadequate or unsafe conditions. With wireless and paperless temperature monitoring solutions from Comark, however, automation drastically reduces the chances for human error to occur. In addition to more accurate records, an automated system allows for constant monitoring, expectations that are far too time-consuming and costly to expect of a manual monitor. And with continuous auditing, HAACP compliance reporting and observation, facilities are alerted to the slightest fluctuation … Read more
We recently presented Food Safety Direct, based in Lancaster, Lancashire, with our Best UK Distributor award for outstanding performance in sales and service. They were a top performer for Comark Instruments’ range of temperature-monitoring products in 2014 and supported their sales initiatives with superior service for their customers. Partners like Food Safety Direct are crucial to Comark’s commitment to provide our customers with growing access to temperature-monitoring solutions that are accurate, efficient and keep organizations compliant with audits and regulating standards. “We’re very thankful to Food Safety Direct for their dedication to Comark. They did an outstanding job last year. We’re delighted to present this award to a company so very deserving of this recognition”. Photo: Jeff Watson (left) and Dave Watson (right) receive Comark’s Best UK Distributor award Partner Site
Food safety experts across the globe are taking action in response to an astounding surge in Campylobacter – a bacterium that can infect food and, when consumed by humans, cause fever, nausea, vomiting and a slew of other symptoms. Recent analyses in the United Kingdom and United States are particularly grim. More than 70 percent of chickens tested in the UK between February 2014 and February 2015 were contaminated with Campylobacter, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA). In the United States, Campylobacter infections in humans have increased more than 13 percent. With the UK’s Campylobacter infection rates being compared to the salmonella outbreak of the 1980s, government officials have charged poultry suppliers to make immediate improvements. Enhancing food-temperature safety strategies can be a key component to driving down infections that can fester and grow when food is processed, transported, … Read more
A new Online Portal makes it easier for organisations to ensure their operations remain fully compliant with key temperature and humidity monitoring regulations. Comark is the world’s leading expert in temperature monitoring for the food, healthcare and other sectors, globally supplying more than 1 million precision thermometers, data loggers and wireless monitoring instruments each year. Due to its scale and reach, Comark is well positioned to link the global market into a unified portal that streamlines important industry information and product resources. “All of our temperature and humidity monitoring products and solutions are designed for high accuracy and efficiency, both of which are crucial components for the food, healthcare, life sciences, laboratory and other sectors we serve,” says Comark Director Product Marketing Mick Hall. “Unifying product and other information into a user-friendly portal is an extension of our commitment to … Read more
Comark Instruments, the world’s leading expert in temperature monitoring for the food and healthcare sectors has recognised two of its partners for their outstanding performance in sales and service. Food Safety Direct, based in Lancaster, Lancashire, received Comark’s award for Best UK Distributor while Selin, based in Milan, Italy, earned the 2014 award for Best International Distributor. Both companies were top performers for Comark Instruments’ range of temperature-monitoring products in 2014 and supported their sales initiatives with superior service for their customers. “Our global network of distribution partners is crucial to providing our customers with growing access to temperature-monitoring solutions that are accurate, efficient and keep organizations compliant with audits and regulating standards,” says Comark Instruments General Manager Ian Wilcock. “We’re proud of all of our partners’ achievements and are very thankful to Food Safety Direct and Selin for their commitment to … Read more
The Comark Pocketherm 125 was recently spotted on the BBC’s new show, “Kew on a Plate.” In the show, Chef Raymond Blanc explores the centuries-old practice of kitchen gardens that yielded vegetables for British royalty. In the series, he spends a year in the botanical gardens at Kew cooking up a delectable series of dishes that boast a variety of fresh produce. In the second episode, Chef Raymond creates an elegant gooseberry cheesecake, topped with a green gooseberry jelly, and served with a red gooseberry compote. A delicate Italian meringue is a key ingredient to the dessert. To make the meringue, hot sugar syrup must be heated to 121 degrees. Chef Raymond utilises the Comark Pocketherm 125 to carefully check the temperature before moving on to the next step. Professional chefs turn to the Comark Pocketherm 125 for quick checks … Read more
