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Real Bread Week – Get Kneading!!

Whether you bake bread at home or in a commercial environment REAL BREAD WEEK is for you. It’s the annual celebration aimed at supporting local, independent Real Bread Bakery as well as baking your own at home. So for those of you who may be joining in for the first time or looking to perfect your loaf, here are a few tips to help you on your way: Keep an eye on the temperature of the dough Aim for around 24⁰C/75⁰F Use warm water in the winter and cold water in the summer to get your dough to the right temperature Temperature of the water depends on the temperature of your room and the temperature of the other ingredients Use a thermometer to check your dough temperature Try to keep the dough at a stable temperature throughout the fermenting (proving/proofing) … Read more

Explore Comark’s Newest Products at NRA Show 2016 in Chicago

From May 21 – 24, Comark will be at the National Restaurant Association’s NRA Show 2016 at McCormick Place in Chicago for the largest single gathering of restaurant, food service and lodging professionals. Join us at Stand 3348 to learn more about our most recent innovations in high quality, precision thermometers, data loggers and wireless monitoring solutions. The Comark Team – including our recently appointed GM, Lika Dutta – will be on hand to discuss products like the newly introduced HACCP Touch, the easy and cost-effective system that enables food service professionals to collect, record and store daily temperatures of critical items as they are prepped, cooked and held. Additionally, food service professionals can learn about the Allergen Thermometer, which is color-coded for food allergy procedures in kitchens that regularly handle milk, nuts, fish and other allergens. Comark representatives will … Read more

Visit Comark at Foodex 2016

From 18 – 20 April, Comark will be at Foodex, the UK’s premier trade event for the food and drink processing, packaging, ingredients and logistics industries at NEC Birmingham. Visit us at Stand Q310 to see our most recent innovations in temperature monitoring solutions across the food supply chain. Comark will be showcasing some of our most popular and high-quality devices, including the Pocketherm and HACCP Touch. Both instruments are easy to use, and abide by HACCP regulations. Visit us on Stand Q310 to see them in person – and learn more about why Comark’s range of thermometers and related temperature instruments lead the industry. In addition to the latest from Comark Instruments, be sure to check out some of the other sessions at the show. From a Meat Masterclass and exclusive insight into the World Steak Challenge, … Read more

Foodservice Industry Must Take Customer Safety More Seriously

More than 10 million people fall ill each year from infectious intestinal disease in the U.K., according to the most recent data from the Food Standards Agency – resulting in approximately 280,000 cases from Campylobacter alone. Recommended temperatures and policies are in place to help the foodservice industry combat this important public health issue, but that’s only one step for which foodservice providers must account in the supply chain. It is equally important to consistently maintain recommended temperatures in storage and prep areas to truly maximize safety precautions. The good news is the food industry now has more robust technology and improved temperature-monitoring instruments than ever before to help protect customers from dangerous illnesses. Integrating these resources into a comprehensive safety strategy will help drive higher safety standards, as well as compliance with industry regulations. Additionally, foodservice professionals who turn … Read more

Food Safety Guidelines from Sentencing Council

Sentencing Council Introduces Guidelines for Food Safety Offences

As of Feb. 1, 2016, the Sentencing Council has introduced new guidelines for food safety offences – in addition to health and safety offences and corporate manslaughter. The guidelines have been developed with the intention of providing comprehensive sentencing guidance for judges and magistrates in England and Wales charged with sentencing for the most common food safety offences. With the implementation the new guidelines, “fines for offences [will be] fair and proportionate to the seriousness of the offence and the means of offenders.” To accomplish this, sentences vary to “reflect the very different levels of risk of harm that can result from offences.” Because food safety offences can result in a wide range of consequences – from minor illness to hospitalization or even death – it is vital that kitchens implement proper food safety standards. Comark’s temperature monitoring solutions aid … Read more

Comark Instruments helps keep your kitchen Salmonella-free

Salmonella leads to approximately one million illnesses in the United States annually, according to the CDC. While the average person recovers within four to seven days, approximately 2,500 are hospitalized each year in the UK, according to Food.gov.uk. In the U.S., 19,000 are hospitalized in and nearly 400 people die annually from the infection. Elderly, children under five and people with compromised immune systems are more likely to have a more severe infection. Salmonella is a bacterium that causes salmonellosis, which is characterized by a number of symptoms, including diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and vomiting. Most infections can be resolved with fluids and rest, but antibiotics may be necessary if the infection spread to the blood stream, according to FoodSafety.gov Infections are typically the result of contaminated food, including eggs, poultry, meat, unpasteurized milk or juice, cheese, raw fruits and vegetables, … Read more

Legionella

Legionella is a bacteria found in water that can cause Legionnaires’ disease – a severe pneumonia infection – or Pontiac fever, also known as legionellosis, according to the CDC. An estimated 10,000 to 18,000 people are infected annually in the United States, according to the Legionella.org, but it is rarer in the UK, with most infections transmitted in travel, according the National Health Service. The legionella bacterium spreads through inhalation of contaminated water droplets. It cannot be spread person to person and does not lead to infection in all cases of exposure. While it is found naturally in fresh water, exposure can cause illness. It grows best in warm water, particularly cooling towers used in air-conditioning units for large buildings. Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease are typically flu-like, including a persistent cough, fatigue, high fever (39.5°C or 103°F), headaches or muscle … Read more

Comark Instruments Keeps Your Holiday Salmonella-Free

Year after year, salmonella leads to approximately one million illnesses in the United States, according to the CDC. While the average person recovers within four to seven days, approximately 2,500 are hospitalized each year in the UK, according to Food.gov.uk. In the U.S., 19,000 are hospitalized in and nearly 400 people die annually from the infection. Elderly, children under five and people with compromised immune systems are more likely to have a more severe infection. While salmonella infections have decreased by 10 percent, according to the CDC, taking the proper precautions is still imperative to keeping you and your family safe throughout the holiday season. In a time where the kitchen is busier than ever, and we are busting at the seams (literally) with turkey, roast beef and countless delicious sides, maintaining proper food safety standards should remain top of … Read more

Optimizing Operational Efficiencies through Wireless Environment Monitoring

For potential customers investigating the complexities of temperature monitoring solutions – what you don’t know can hurt you. As Comark’s National Sales Manager, I spend much of my time analyzing clients’ needs and expectations, helping to create compliance-focused solutions that allow for increased operational efficiencies and expanded revenue opportunities. One of the most common issues I see in evaluating kitchen coolers and freezers is in the area of defrost cycles. Defrost cycles typically rely on a mechanical timer, which is monitored and adjusted manually by an HVAC specialist. These adjustments are made to optimize efficiencies, but necessary changes may fluctuate as compressors and equipment age, or even as refrigerants leak or are replaced. Incorrect cycles characteristically raise the temperature of the cooler or freezer interior too high, only to require more work from the compressor to chill it back down. … Read more

Six Steps to a Safe and Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey

For Americans, Thanksgiving is just a few Thursdays away – a holiday where roughly 88 percent of Americans consume turkey, according to CNN. With 1.7 percent of turkey testing positive for salmonella in 2014, according to the USDA, it’s important to make sure your holiday meal is prepared safely. Below are six steps to a delicious and safe Thanksgiving turkey. 1. Check to be sure your meat has been kept at the correct temperature throughout the storage process. A data logger from Comark is an easy and cost effective tool to log transport data across any distance. 2. If your turkey has been frozen, use the Pocketherm from Comark to keep track of its status as you defrost. Safely defrost in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, but never leave meat out on the counter to thaw, … Read more

Checklist Day: Four Steps to a Safe and Paperless Kitchen

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

E. Coli Outbreak in Scotland, Stronger Food Safety Strategies Can Reduce Food-Borne Illnesses

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