Acrylamide in Food

Reduce Acrylamide by Going for Gold

Acrylamide is a chemical substance formed by a reaction between amino acids and sugars.  It is found in a wide variety of foods such as chips, roast potatoes, crisps, toast, cakes, biscuits, cereals and coffee. Concern regarding the carcinogenic potential of acrylamide has eventually led to new legislation that comes into force in April 2018.  Commission Regulation (EU) No 2017/2158 requires that food business operators apply the acrylamide mitigation measures set in the Annexes in this Regulation. When foods with a high starch content are fried, roasted or baked at high temperatures over 120°C acrylamide is formed. The recommendation for cooking food with a high starch level is to “go for gold” as generally, the darker the appearance of a starchy product, the higher the acrylamide level is found to be. It is advised that the temperature of cooking oil … Read more

5 Temperature Safety Tips

5 Temperature Safety Tips

 Accurate measurement and control of temperature is critical to the quality and safety of food products. Throughout the supply chain of any food business there will be critical control points (CCPs) identified in the HACCP plan.  There will be temperature safety checks at each of the CCPs identified.  1. Why is temperature control important? Harmful bacteria are a hazard present in many foods handled in homes, food service and food processing businesses.  Growth can be controlled by keeping food hot or cold.  Harmful bacteria can be reduced or destroyed by cooking or reheating to the correct temperature. 2. Handling temperatures on receipt of goods When accepting deliveries of food quick temperature safety checks can be made with infrared thermometers.  These thermometers take surface temperatures and do not damage packs.  They are particularly useful for checking frozen goods which may be … Read more

Wireless Monitoring for food businesses

How Wireless Monitoring Helps Your Food Business

Food businesses want total food safety assurance and this is where a wireless monitoring system for temperature can help. When the heat is on in the kitchen, do you know what is happening in your temperature sensitive storage? When it gets busy front of house, you want to know that your staff have time to perfect the customer experience.  With wireless monitoring in place, they can do so safe in the knowledge the necessary back of house temperature checks are taken . The vital temperature records of cold and frozen storage areas, coolers, hot and cold holding stations are automated through a series of wireless data loggers that automatically and continually monitor temperatures to provide real-time data on storage conditions. Automatic alerts can be set up via email or SMS notifications for when exceptions occur and temperatures fall outside of … Read more

C28/P21 Sous Vide Kit

Sous Vide Cooking with Comark Instruments

The Sous Vide cooking method has recently taken the restaurant industry by storm – and is even becoming popular among home kitchens. So, what exactly is Sous Vide cooking? Sous Vide is a method of slow cooking in which food is cooked in vacuum sealed bags, submerged in a constant temperature-controlled water bath. This technique of cooking the food inside vacuum sealed bags ensures the food will stay juicy and tender. The temperature controlled method of this style of cooking is another unique feature providing a tasty outcome for chefs and diners, as the food cooks at the constant desired temperature all the way through. This temperature is achievable and monitored with the help of Comark’s Sous Vide Kit. This method of cooking has become so popular among restaurants, chefs and home kitchens because different temperatures of the water baths (by even just one … Read more

Comark Experts

Comark Experts: Q&A with Product Marketing Director Michael Hall

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 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 Comark’s new Bluteooth Pocketherm. Q: How does the Bluetooth Pocketherm work to efficiently upload HACCP information? A: The Bluetooth Pocketherm is a game changer in the temperature-monitoring industry. With Bluetooth pairing capabilities, this thermometer pairs with the Comark Checks app on a smart device to log temperature data. The fast and easy technique transfers from thermometer to smart device in a matter of seconds. This speeds up the data logging process all while maintaining accuracy and running a HACCP plan. Q: What are … Read more

New Kitchen Checks PRO

Comark Instruments Launches New Comark Kitchen Checks

 (7 February, 2017) – Comark Instruments is continuing its commitment to raise the standards in food safety with the launch of the new Comark Kitchen Checks App and Bluetooth Pocketherm – a waterproof folding pocket thermometer with Bluetooth capabilities. “Comark has been a global leader in providing high-quality precision thermometers, data loggers and monitoring solutions for more than 50 years. The introduction of the New Comark Kitchen Checks, Comark Kitchen Checks App and Bluetooth Pocketherm strengthens our position as an industry leader by delivering compliant-focused capabilities that help automate many manual procedures while simultaneously improving food and consumer safety.” Lika Dutta, General Manager, Comark Instruments. “Our innovative products bring new levels of safety and efficiency to kitchens across the food-service industry. The Comark Kitchen Checks App connects to the Comark Cloud to ensure greater security and expanded recording capabilities. And … Read more

RF314Dual WiFi Dual Channel Data Logger with Thermocouples

Comark Instruments Launches New Line of WiFi Data Loggers

Comark Instruments launched a new line of Data Loggers with WiFi compatibility and a wide variety of new features, including dual channel systems and probe attachments, improving upon the already wide range of data monitoring solutions offered. “Comark’s new WiFi Data Loggers take the guesswork out of data monitoring and temperature measurement,” says Michael Hall, Product-Marketing Director for Comark Instruments. “Each model offers upgraded, tailored features suited to fit the needs of any food service professional.” “Diligence WiFi Data Loggers from Comark provide an easy way to organize temperature data,” says Lika Dutta, General Manager for Comark Instruments. “But most importantly, it provides critical visibility of food safety compliance for any organization in the food service industry.” Each model in the new line of Data Loggers released includes an LCD display featuring minimum and maximum readings and indicators for battery, … Read more

is your fridge cold enough

Is Your Fridge Cold Enough?

Certain foods require chilled storage conditions to maintain quality and prevent the growth of micro-organisms. Correct storage of food at the right temperature reduces the risk of food poisoning.  Is your fridge cold enough at the correct temperature? Temperature control is important because harmful bacteria are a hazard present in many foods. Given the right conditions, food poisoning bugs such as listeria can multiply quickly. Did you know that at ideal temperatures some food poisoning bugs can multiply every 10 minutes? The Food Standards Agency states that growth models have shown listeria grows nearly twice as fast at 8°C as it does at 5°C, hence the recommended 5ºC, which helps keep us safe from listeria. As bacteria are invisible to the naked eye and cannot be physically removed from food, all we can do is control their numbers. Temperature can … Read more

NRA Show 2016

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

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

Comark Experts

Comark Experts: Q&A with Product Marketing Director Michael Hall

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

Software Upgrade

Comark Instruments Introduces M9 Software Upgrade for RF500 Monitoring Solution

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