Procuro Information Management Monitor (PIMM™)
The restaurant industry has very strict guidelines controlling food safety, as outlined by Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) management system.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), HACCP provides a systematic preventative approach to food safety by identifying, evaluating, and controlling factors that present hazards throughout the entire process (farm to fork). This includes everything from the raw materials to shipping to the finished product.
One aspect of food safety that requires special attention is controlling and monitoring food temperature, which is necessary to prevent problems that can cause foodborne illnesses. It’s important to note that both raw ingredients and cooked products must be kept at certain temperatures to prevent growth and/or provide a “kill” step during cooking.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 48 million Americans (or about one in six people) get sick from a foodborne illness each year, of which 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.1 Obviously, not all of these cases are associated with the restaurant industry, but this statistic highlights the need for improved food safety and for enforcing food-safety guidelines to reduce the number of cases in which people become ill after eating contaminated food.
One aspect of food safety is maintaining food temperatures at certain critical levels. Foods that need to be refrigerated or frozen must be kept at specified temperature levels to maintain adequate food safety, as well as prevent premature spoilage due to improper storage. Cooked foods must be heated to specific internal temperatures and then maintained at minimum temperatures. The temperature limits for coolers, freezers, and cooked foods are necessary to prevent the development of bacteria, viruses, and parasites leading to foodborne illnesses.
Many cases of foodborne illness can be prevented if staff addressed the problem sooner rather than later. The aspect of human error exists, too, potentially leading to situations in which food temperature is improperly maintained.
Implementing an automatic method that uses sensors to electronically measure and record temperatures can substantially improve food safety. This method allows for a continuous data stream of temperatures—24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. Temperatures are recorded consistently, on time, and leave little room for interpretation—just the facts and nothing but the facts.
The PIMM™ Store Management System (PIMM™ SMS) provides our customers with a customized quality management solution for restaurants, convenience stores and retail grocery establishments.
The system provides a user-friendly interface to enhance operational efficiencies for managing temperature, energy, drive-thru performance, and quality control 24×7.
To learn more about this and other PIMM™ Products, please visit us at www.Procuro.com or call TOLL FREE today 1-888-571-PIMM (1-888-571-7466)!