AU2017101660A4 - System for monitoring food safety - Google Patents

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the features of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations. The system uses one or more temperature measuring devices in the form of thermometers or thermocouples, which are either fixed in position, or hand held and portable by a food handler, to measure the temperature of one or more food items, or to measure the temperature within the food handling equipment. The system also incorporates a time measurement device which measures elapsed times for certain steps, as well as real times and dates for certain steps. Some example food handling operations include: (1) delivery/receival, (2) cold storage, (3) defrost, (4) preparation, (5) cooking, (6) cooling, (7) reheating, (8) hot holding, (9) serving and (10) wash up. The food items can be either uncooked or cooked when received, and then cooked food items can be prepared, which themselves comprise more than one individual food item. Both individual food items and composite food product items can be tracked with the system, which then provides a food business with a whole of life traceability of a meal and its components. 0 m c- u 0 0 Em _L.0 C > cu I m 0a 0 0n > o -0 a) 0 U- E 0 0 4-j 0 0 -0 0 L/) -0 0M m C0 V) +-J a)" 0 (3) 0) 0 o 0 u 0 m _0 +-j 0 / c E u0 0 - 0:- 0O OL - )bflQ) 4J u -a.9=CE cu L- 0 .0 toa a) CL 4-J LcCa E .)0 E Ea) -Om a)(A ) - uu L J E cj +j O- Q 0 4- M) co 0 0 _0 Ec -0 W ) ~ -_) 0 0C:V000 N a0 !E w a) 0 E LU V)C H a) c. CL L CV > CL a ~ .4-J 0 c u Lf) -LJ

Description

SYSTEM FOR MONITORING FOOD SAFETY TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a system for monitoring food safety used for the purposes of avoiding outbreaks of food poisoning, or contamination-related food losses. While the system is described with reference to its use in a catering facility for a hospital or aged care facility, it can also find application in many other food service situations, such as restaurants, cafes and offices.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

There are many types of business which store, prepare, cook and serve food. These businesses can include restaurants and cafes, as well as aged care facilities, hospitals, and so on. Food service businesses must serve safe food to avoid outbreaks of food poisoning, or minimise contamination-related food losses. Food service businesses are often staffed by unskilled or temporary employees who lack training in proper food handling techniques.

Many countries have food service guidelines or legislative requirements about food standards at a national, state or even city level. To demonstrate compliance with these requirements, some food handling businesses will implement a food safety program to document procedures and records, to show that reasonable and reproducible steps are being taken to improve staff compliance with food safety laws, both to protect the health of customers and the reputation of the business. A food safety program can include a documented set of steps that aim to prevent food safety problems before they arise, rather than continual reactive measures after a problem has arisen. It should cover all aspects of food handling, cooking and service, and procedures to keep food safe, as well as corrective actions needed to protect consumers. Once established, template-based food safety programs are often unable to be easily changed, especially if written by an external food safety consultant. If an entire food handling practice changes at a particular venue, then local authorities may also need to be informed, and a food safety program re-certified.

Some food safety programs are based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), a risk management system that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards related to food safety throughout the food supply and handling chain. A HACCP program can be implemented for control of physical, biological, and chemical risks throughout food handling operations. Importantly the HACCP needs to identify the food safety Critical Control Points (CCPs) and the legal limits placed on those CCPs. A corrective action is needed when critical limits are exceeded, as well as documentation and record-keeping.

Currently some businesses use a system of paper based checklists, that are used to record critical food temperatures such as cooking and cooling temperatures, as well as cold storage temperatures such as found in refrigerators and freezers. Such records of compliance are important if a food safety inspection occurs. However, such a checklist system is prone to becoming wet or damaged or lost in a kitchen environment. Other businesses do no recording at all, thereby risking fines and possible legal action in the event of a food poisoning outbreak. For many unskilled or temporary employees who are busy with other duties, such record keeping is beyond their capacity, and the process of record keeping is often so complicated that even some managers of food businesses do not understand how to achieve the desired outcome. If the HACCP rules and restrictions are altered over time, for example due to regulatory changes, these need to be reflected in a rapid change of practice in food handling procedures.

There is a need for a simple system for use in food handling businesses which can accommodate multiple users of varying skills, which can cover all aspects of food handling, cooking and service, which can provide a tangible record of activity, and which can be adapted for a rapidly changing regulatory environment in such a way that it improves food hygiene and regulatory compliance for food handling businesses.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect, there is provided a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations, the system comprising: a. at least one temperature measuring device for providing an output representative of the temperature of one or more food items or food handling equipment; b. at least one timing device for providing an output representative of the time taken in various steps of the food handling operations; and c. a decision-making device which determines whether to issue food safety alerts based on the output of the at least one temperature measuring device and the output of the at least one timing device.

In some embodiments, the food handling operations include one or more of the following food handling processes: delivery/receival, cold storage, defrost, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, hot holding, serving and wash up. Each of these process steps may be performed by different, or the same, operators, depending on the size and scope of the food handling operation.

In some embodiments, the at least one temperature measurement device is adapted for being positioned by an operator proximal to said food items, or at a location within said food handling equipment. When the term “proximal” is used throughout this specification, it incorporates the use of a temperature measurement device capable of being held or positioned sufficiently closely to the food item to measure its exterior surface temperature without touching the food item (for example, a laser/IR thermometer, or a thermocouple), as well as those examples where the temperature measurement device is required to be inserted into the food item (such as a probe thermometer), and for those locations within food handling equipment, for satisfactorily measuring the interior operating temperature (for example, either a laser/IR thermometer, a thermocouple, or a probe thermometer).

In some embodiments, the at least one temperature measurement device is in electronic communication with the decision-making device. A typical device for this measurement is a digital thermocouple or digital thermometer, possibly physically connected to the decision-making device, or remotely via Bluetooth wireless technology or other remote connection. In some embodiments, the at least one timing device is in electronic communication with the decision-making device. A typical device for this measurement is a digital clock which is connected to, or forms part of, the decisionmaking device.

In some embodiments, the food items include one or more of the following: individual food items which are either uncooked or cooked; and cooked food items which themselves comprise more than one individual food item. Both individual food items and composite food product items can be tracked with the system.

In some embodiments, the food handling equipment includes one or more of the following: coolrooms, freezers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, regular ovens, heat lamps, bain maries and dishwashers. Equipment which has the capacity to cold store food under temperature control, as well as equipment which has the capacity to process food are governed by various food standards codes and laws in individual countries.

In some embodiments, the decision-making device determines whether to issue food safety alerts based on whether said food items, or said food handling equipment, has been maintained within predetermined parameters. In one form of this, the predetermined parameters are based on relevant prescribed rules or legislation for food handling operations.

In some embodiments, the determination of the decision-making device is based on at least one of: the time and date of each step; temperatures at start and finish of each step; time intervals between steps. Various food standards codes and legislation in individual countries determines the time intervals as well as the minimum or maximum temperatures at which food items, or food handling equipment, must be held in use.

In some embodiments, the system is configured to produce reports including the outputs from the at least one timing device and the at least one temperature measurement device, as well as the outputs from the decision-making device in relation to the food handling operations. Such reports form a record of compliance if a food safety inspection occurs, to mitigate against fines or possible legal action.

In some embodiments, the food safety alerts include one or more of the following indicators: an audible signal, a readable electronic message, a visual indicator. Such alerts are a way to communicate with unskilled or new employees who are busy with other duties, that a breach has been detected and that remedial steps are required. The signal or message can also be sent to a supervisor who is located offsite or remotely located.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises one or more data entry screen(s) for a system operator to select during use, at which the system operator enters information about the food handling operations, wherein the one or more data entry screen(s) are in electronic communication with the decision-making device. Conveniently the operator can select these screens from a mobile telephone, a laptop computer, an iPad or other tablet style computer.

In some embodiments, at the time of use of the data entry screen(s), the system operator inputs personal identity information. In one embodiment, the decision-making device considers the cumulative historical frequency and timing of use of the data entry screen(s) by a particular system operator, and determines the order in which the data entry screen(s) are configured to appear for that system operator. In one form of this, the historically most frequently used data entry screen comes first, and those with lesser frequency of use are ranked to appear after that. In such an arrangement, the decisionmaking device learns the tasks of particular operators, and for convenience and speed of use, then makes those data entry screens appear in order of priority relevant to that operator.

In some embodiments, the decision-making device considers the cumulative historical frequency and time of use of the data entry screen(s) by all system operators at a location, and determines the order in which the data entry screen(s) are configured to appear. In one form of this, the historically most frequently used data entry screen comes first, and those with lesser frequency of use are ranked to appear after that. In such an arrangement, the decision-making device learns the most frequent tasks conducted in that food handling operation, and for convenience and speed of use, then makes those data entry screens appear in order of priority.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one indicia reader for determining information about the delivery/receival of one or more food item(s) for use, wherein the indicia reader is in electronic communication with the decision-making device. In some embodiments, a system operator inputs information about one or more of the following: the name of the supplier; the as received condition of the said food item(s); the use-by dates of the food item(s); the best-before dates of the food item(s). An example indicia reader is a barcode reader.

In some embodiments, the decision-making device considers the cumulative historical frequency and timing of the delivery/receival of the one or more food item(s) for use, and determines the order in which the name of the supplier is configured to appear on a visual display for a system operator. In some embodiments, the decisionmaking device considers the cumulative historical frequency and timing of the delivery/receival of the one or more food item(s) for use, and determines the order in which the said food items are configured to appear on a visual display for a system operator.

In such arrangements, the decision-making device leams the most frequently used suppliers of food items for delivery/receival, and the most frequently supplied food items for delivery/receival and the time that they usually arrive at that food handling operation, and for convenience and speed of use, then ranks those data entry screens to appear in order of priority. In one form of this, the historically most frequently delivered food items come first, and those of lesser frequency are ranked lower. In another form of this, the historically earliest delivered food items come first, and those delivered later are ranked lower.

In a second aspect, there is provided a temperature measuring device for providing an output representative of the temperature of one or more food items or food handling equipment in a system for monitoring food safety as defined in the first aspect, wherein the temperature measuring device is in electronic communication with the decision-making device in use.

In some embodiments, the electronic communication to the decision-making device is via wireless remote connection. In some embodiments, the electronic communication to the decision-making device uses an application programming interface.

In a third aspect there is provided an application programming interface in use for providing an electronic communication between a temperature measuring device and a system for monitoring food safety as defined in the first aspect.

In some embodiments, the electronic communication is with the decisionmaking device of the system. In one form of this, the electronic communication to the decision-making device is via wireless remote connection.

Advantageously, the embodiments of the system described can provide a simple system which can be used in any type of food handling businesses which can provide a permanent record of temperature and time in the various steps of food handling, cooking and service, and in which the rules are readily able to be customised and input for local food handling rules and restrictions. The provision of food safety alerts makes it easier for users of any skill level to understand that a problem has arisen, rather than needing to understand the procedural rules at every stage of the food handling process, and which also complies with HACCP corrective action requirements. As a result, improvements in food hygiene and regulatory compliance for food handling businesses are expected. Embodiments of the system can also provide an element of self-learning, so that the system can adapt itself to the requirements of particular users, and to prioritise the most frequent tasks handled and most frequent inputs at a particular venue, so as to have a degree of flexibility over known, fixed template food safety systems.

Other aspects, features, and advantages will become further apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which are a part of this disclosure and which illustrate, by way of example, principles of the inventions disclosed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying drawings facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments.

Figure 1 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations including using a temperature measuring device and using a timing device, and in particular for the receival of food item(s), the steps taken further include recordal of one or more of: the name of the supplier; the as received condition of the said food item(s); the use-by dates of the food item(s); the best-before dates of the food item(s).

Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food administrator when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations in accordance with Figure 1, in particular to produce reports including the outputs from the at least one timing device and the at least one temperature measurement device, as well as the outputs from a decision-making device of the system in relation to the food handling operations.

Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the receival of food item(s), the steps taken further include recordal of one or more of: the name of the supplier; the food item(s) received; the temperature of the food item(s); the as received condition of the said food item(s); the use-by dates of the food item(s); the best-before dates of the food item(s). The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the cold storage of food item(s), the steps taken include recordal of one or more of: the type of cold storage room; the temperature of the cold storage room; the time. The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the defrosting of food item(s), the steps taken include recordal of one or more of: the type of food item(s); the temperature of the food item(s); the time and date that defrosting both started and finished. The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the preparation of food item(s) prior to use in cooking, the steps taken include recordal of one or more of: the type of food item(s); the time that food preparation both started and finished; the time interval that the food item(s) were out of cold storage; the time that the food item(s) were served. The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the cooking of food item(s), the steps taken include recordal of one or more of: the type of food item(s); the time interval that the food item(s) were cooked for; the temperature of the cooked food item(s). The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the cooling of food item(s) after they have been cooked, the steps taken include recordal of one or more of: the type of food item(s); the temperature of the food item(s) when cooling starts, and again at 2 hours into the cooling step, and again after (and up to) a further 4 hours has passed in the cooling step. The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the reheating of food item(s), the steps taken include recordal of one or more of: the type of food item(s); the time interval that the food item(s) were reheated for; the temperature of the reheated food item(s). The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 10 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the hot holding of food item(s) after they have been cooked, the steps taken include recordal of one or more of: the type of food item(s); the temperature of the food item(s) when hot holding starts, and again when the hot holding step finishes. The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 11 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the service of food item(s) after they have been cooked, the steps taken include recordal of one or more of: the type of food item(s); the temperature of the food item(s) when service starts, and again when the service step finishes. The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 12 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food handler when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations according to Figure 1, and in particular for the washing of food handling equipment after use, the steps taken include recordal of one or more of: the wash-up time; the rinse temperature of the water used in the washing of the food handling equipment. The Figure also displays exemplary Food Standards parameters for some of these recorded variables.

Figure 13 is an illustration of a report prepared by a food administrator when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations in accordance with the steps described in Figures 3 to 12 hereinabove, in particular to produce reports including the outputs from the at least one timing device and the at least one temperature measurement device, as well as the outputs from a decision-making device of the system in relation to the food handling operations.

Figure 14 is an illustration of a report prepared by a food administrator when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations in accordance with the steps described in Figure 4 hereinabove in relation to the cold storage of food item(s), in particular to produce reports including the outputs from the at least one timing device and the at least one temperature measurement device, as well as the outputs from a decision-making device of the system in relation to the food handling operations.

Figure 15 is an illustration of a report prepared by a food administrator when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations in accordance with the steps described in Figure 7 hereinabove in relation to the cooking of food item(s), in particular to produce reports including the outputs from the at least one timing device and the at least one temperature measurement device, as well as the outputs from a decision-making device of the system in relation to the food handling operations.

Figure 16 is an illustration of a report prepared by a food administrator when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations in accordance with the steps described in Figure 10 and Figure 11 hereinabove in relation to the hot holding of food item(s), and the service of food items(s), in particular to produce reports including the outputs from the at least one timing device and the at least one temperature measurement device, as well as the outputs from a decision-making device of the system in relation to the food handling operations.

Figure 17 is an illustration of a report prepared by a food administrator when using an embodiment of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations in accordance with the steps described in Figure 12 hereinabove in relation to the washing of food handling equipment after use, in particular to produce reports including the outputs from the at least one timing device and the at least one temperature measurement device, as well as the outputs from a decision-making device of the system in relation to the food handling operations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure relates to the features of a system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations, and examples of operating steps for a food handler to follow are shown in Figure 1, and for a food administrator in Figure 2.

The system uses one or more temperature measuring devices in the form of thermometers or thermocouples, which are either fixed in position, or hand held and portable by a food handler, to measure the temperature of one or more food items, or to measure the temperature within the food handling equipment (for example, in coolrooms, freezers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, regular ovens, heat lamps, bain maries and dishwashers). The system also incorporates a time measurement device which measures elapsed times for certain steps, as well as real times and dates for certain steps.

Referring to Figure 2, the parameters to be measured in the system are initially established for a particular facility by a food administrator who inputs baseline information. This can include details of the menu items to be served, a list of the usual food service suppliers and delivery companies who service the business, the particulars of the cold storage equipment, the chosen menu items for food preparation, the temperature limits that apply to all stages of food preparation depending on local food regulations (for instance, a serving temperature of between 60°C to 65°C), as well as the names of specific food handler staff who will be making on-site entries into the system during its use.

Once the system has been set up for a particular user/location, the parameters are generally unchanged, unless new suppliers or menus are required to be added every few months. This is because menus are often quite static at venues such as retirement homes, food outlet stores in shopping malls, hospitals and the like. Produce can change seasonally, which is another time when menus will be altered. When using the system, the food handler can then make entries by selecting from the various pre-set fields which have been established by the food administrator, and then will proceed to measure temperature values using a digital thermometer, digital thermocouple or even a laser/IR thermometer (any of them being either physically connected to the system, or connected to it remotely via Bluetooth wireless technology or some other remote connection), over progressive elapsed time periods.

If there is only one food handler, this person may be handling all the generally established ten (10) steps of food handling processes, however in most larger food handling businesses, there is likely to be more than just one person making such entries, who may do so using separate thermometers connected to data entry devices, as will be described hereinafter.

The 10 example food handling operations which are now illustrated herein for the present system include: (1) delivery/receival, (2) cold storage, (3) defrost, (4) preparation, (5) cooking, (6) cooling, (7) reheating, (8) hot holding, (9) serving and (10) wash up. There may be some additional steps which relate to more specific foods or facilities, however the 10 basic steps will be described herein. The thermometer is positioned by an operator proximal to said food items, or at a location inside food handling equipment. The food items can be either uncooked or cooked when received, and then cooked food items can be prepared, which themselves comprise more than one individual food item. Both individual food items and composite food product items can be tracked with the system, which then provides a food business with a whole of life traceability of a meal and its components.

By way of example, with reference to Figure 1 and to Figure 3, an individual food handler comes into work and commences his or her tasks by signing into the system and selecting a food handling operation, in this case, the step of (1) food delivery/receival. A list of companies is shown by the system (these have already been decided and input by the food administrator), and the food handler selects a company name from the list of approved suppliers. Typically, this is done by touching a data entry interface which connects to the system, such on a mobile telephone, a laptop computer, an iPad or other tablet style computer, but this can be achieved in other ways.

After selecting the supplier name, then a list of goods which are regularly ordered from the selected supplier company is shown, and the food handler selects the relevant goods which are being received/delivered at that moment. Then the food handler takes the food temperature using a thermometer, for example a Bluetooth wireless thermometer or thermocouple, but in other examples this device may be physically attached to the computer or tablet or other data receiving device by way of a physical cable connection to provide an electronic communication therebetween. In other embodiments, the thermometer can also be a conventional probe thermometer type (used to measure the interior temperature of cooked meat, for example), and the temperature may be taken by a visual inspection of a gauge made by the food handler. In such an option, the temperature is entered into the system interface manually by the food handler typing the temperature information in, whereas when using Bluetooth or other physically connected thermometers, the temperature will be automatically added into the system.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises one or more data entry screen(s) for a system operator to select during use, at which the system operator enters information about the food handling operations, wherein the one or more data entry screen(s) are in electronic communication with a decision-making device of the system. Conveniently the operator can select these screens from a mixture of types of devices most convenient for them to handle, for example a mobile telephone, a laptop computer, an iPad or other tablet style computer.

In addition to temperature, the physical condition of the product needs to be assessed by the food handler, and this information is also entered into the system, normally either as “OK” or “Not OK”. If the incoming goods are “Not OK”, for example, received at something over a recommended temperature, or if the packaging is tom or damaged in some way indicating that the integrity of the food has been compromised, then the food handler inputs a corrective action, which they can type in manually into a data field, or perhaps with some common pro-forma answers that have been established by the food administrator at the site. Also, the “use by” and “best before” date are entered by the food handler, for example using a scrolldown selection menu or some other type of calendar date selection and entry method. Such dates are normally available on the physical product packaging, or may be decided by the particular food handling site. Once all of this information has been entered into the system, the food handler concludes the data entry task by selecting an “OK/Save” button or icon, so as to confirm entry and to record the information. In doing so, the specific time and date at which those measurements were taken by the food handler is recorded by the system, and cannot be later altered or edited to try to conceal a result.

The food handler doing delivery/receival, or different other food handlers at the facility, will repeat the same sort of actions for each of the other 9 main food handling processes, and each one of the processes will be described in more detail hereinafter.

However, in each case, once the “OK/Save” button or icon has been selected to confirm data entry and to record the information, and the specific time and date at which those measurements were taken by the food handler is also recorded by the system using a digital clock or timer, then all the information for each process in the lifecycle of a food item is known, and can be tracked when reviewed by the food administrator who has oversight on the entire work flow.

To assist the food administrator with this task, as well as to assist the food handlers with any immediate issues of food safety, the system uses its decision-making device to determine whether there is any variation between the actual temperatures measured, and the various times at which tasks are performed by the food handlers, when compared with the specific temperature, or time interval, or a combination of both temperature and time interval rules, from the beginning to the end of every food handling process, all of which have been established by the food administrator of the site. Equipment which has the capacity to cold store food under temperature control, as well as equipment which has the capacity to process food are governed by various food standards codes and laws in individual countries. For example, equipment that has the capacity to store food under temperature control has operating standards which are defined in The Food Standards Code of Australia and New Zealand s.3.2.2 clause 6, and any equipment that has the capacity to process food safely has operating standards which are defined in The Food Standards Code of Australia and New Zealand s.3.2.2 clause 7.

If there is any variation to the predetermined rules in relation to these individual or combined variables, then the system is arranged to issue food safety alerts. The food safety alerts can take the form of an indicator to the food handler that a breach of the food safety rules has occurred, and that corrective action is required. This could be an audible signal such as a bell or buzzer, or a visual indicator such as a flashing light. The system can also send a message such as an email or a text message to the food handler explaining the issue in writing (and even in a different language), and/or to his or her direct supervisor, or even to the food administrator at the site, indicating that a breach has been detected and that remedial steps are required. The decision-making device can be a programmable logic device such as a computer, tablet or other system which can measure compliance and decide whether to issue an alert in some form, as well as having the capacity to teach itself various tasks and priorities over time after regular use, as will be described hereinafter.

Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating steps taken by a food administrator when using the system to produce reports including the outputs from the timing device and temperature measurement devices, as well as the outputs from the decision-making device. The food administrator can access all the basic information which has been entered into the system during the various food handling processes by the food handler(s), for a particular site or business, or even across multiple sites in a multi-site operation which is connected to a central server. The reporting process can detect instances where the prescribed food handling protocols or rules have not been adhered to by a food handler when it should have been. The administrator will also be able to allow access to information on the system to external parties such as food safety auditors, to assist with any investigation of the business. The administrator will have the ability to trace a meal from cooking to serving, since each time food is cooked it will be electronically tagged so that its journey can be followed.

For example, there may be missing data entries, such as cooking temperatures not being taken for preparation of a lunchtime meal, during which time the food administrator will receive an alert (for example, by instant message or email) from the system to advise that lunch cooking temperatures have not been taken. The food administrator can then investigate immediately as to why this was not done, and take corrective action or staff training. In such an instance the system can provide a realtime and pro-active response, with enables a potentially hazardous situation to be eliminated before suspect food is ever able to reach the plate of a person who is dining. In other examples, the real-time intervention of the food administrator can prevent improperly defrosted, stored or hot-held foods from being used or supplied to diners.

If immediate corrective action is not possible in the particular situation, the food administrator can also do this retrospectively by accessing historical reports for all 10 food handling processes using the time and date recordal function of the system, and selecting any date from the calendar. Items which appear on the calendar on a certain day to indicate that a food handling process was not completed properly are indicated with a warning colour (indicated by grey shading in the example report), for example in Figure 16, which shows that both during process step (8) for hot holding, and during process step (9) for food serving, a required temperature of 60°C or more was not maintained at Servery 7.

An overall summary report for a facility which is provided when using the present system is shown in Figure 13, also showing the warning colour for certain steps (in this instance, a pixelated colour box is illustrative of a warning colour). This reporting feature comes from the decision-making device of the system, which has evaluated the temperature data which has been recorded, and then determines whether to issue a food safety alert and to record a failed result (and given an appropriate visual colour coding). This report informs the food administrator which food handling processes are not being completed properly, and when this is happening, and the system can even give an appropriate recommendation of a substantive responsive action, which may involve more training of staff, the maintenance or replacement of faulty equipment being used, and so on, based on its own records of the historical treatment given in response to the same issue at this facility.

The decision-making device can also determine whether a deviation from the required temperature is a random event and whether a random event is reported to a food administrator with as much significance as would be any repeated breach, for example repeated errors by a particular operator, or repeated failure of a particular piece of equipment to perform, and even whether certain breaches are being repeated at a particular time of the day. Reports of failed results can be assessed and prioritised by the system for either immediate action by a food administrator, or if they are determined to be of lesser significance, can be reported with lower priority. As an historical data base of results is established for a particular food handling business, the system can leam over time how frequently a particular sort of food alert is occurring and, for recurring problems, the system can track the emphasis which is placed by the food administrator on fixing the issue quickly (thus providing an internal risk assessment at the facility). For example, the emphasis at the facility might focus on dealing with issues of certain foods being improperly cooked as being an issue of a higher urgency, compared with, say, occasional variations to the rate of defrosting of certain prepackaged goods being outside of the specification. In this way, the system determines the priority of reporting breaches, and even whether certain breaches require specific types of aural or visual food safety alerts, and those others which do not.

The use of the data entry screen(s) by individual operators requires them to log on to the system with some personal identity information such as their name or staff number. The decision-making device can analyse which data entry screen(s) that certain operators access most frequently, based on their historical use pattern, and then the system determines a preferential order of those data entry screen(s) to appear for that system operator when they log on. The decision-making device thus leams which food handling processes are routinely performed by that system operator so that, for convenience and efficiency of use of the system, during future uses it causes those most frequently used data entry screens to appear first, rather than having to repeatedly select a process operation from a menu with multiple options. For many unskilled or temporary employees who are busy with other duties, or for those employees with limited language or computer literacy skills, such seemingly small efficiencies in the process of record keeping can greatly reduce frustration and therefore assist with compliance in using a new system, to help achieve the desired outcome.

Alternatively, the decision-making device can also consider the cumulative historical frequency and time of use of the data entry screen(s) by all system operators at a location, to then determine the order in which the data entry screen(s) are configured to appear for use. For example, for early mornings, it is more likely that the popular use data entry screens are for processes such as (1) delivery/receival, (2) cold storage, (3) defrost, (4) preparation, and (5) cooking, as the latter might be related to breakfast. However, in the afternoon time, the more popular data entry screens may relate to dinner menus, so could involve (5) cooking, (8) hot holding, (9) serving and (10) wash up. The decision-making device learns the most frequent tasks conducted at the particular food handling operation at certain times of day, so that for convenience and efficiency of use of the system, causes those data entry screens of most relevance to users to appear first, rather than having to repeatedly select a process operation from a menu with multiple options. For many unskilled or temporary employees who are busy with other duties, or for those employees with limited language or computer literacy skills, such seemingly small efficiencies in the process of record keeping can greatly reduce frustration and therefore assist with compliance in using a new system, to help achieve the desired outcome.

Another feature of the decision-making device can relate to the process of (1) food delivery/receival. The system can be coupled to a bar code scanner, or other type of visual information recognition device, for determining information about the delivery/receival of one or more food item(s) for use. For example, it can be configured to communicate scanned information such as the product type and name, the use-by dates of the food item(s), and the best-before dates of the food item(s), rather than requiring manual entry of these details, which is prone to operator error.

The decision-making device can also learn from the cumulative historical frequency and timing of the delivery/receival of food item(s) arriving for storage or cold storage, and so determine the order in which relevant data entry screen(s) are configured to appear. For example, the decision-making device can leam the most frequently used suppliers of food items for delivery/receival, and the most frequently supplied food items for delivery/receival from those suppliers. The decision-making device may even leam the time that these food item(s) usually arrive at that food handling operation. Once the decision-making device learns the usual order of these things, then for convenience and efficiency of use of the system, it causes those data entry screens to appear in order of priority. For many unskilled or temporary employees who are busy with other duties, or for those employees with limited language or computer literacy skills, such seemingly small efficiencies in the process of record keeping can greatly reduce frustration and therefore assist with compliance in using a new system, to help achieve the desired outcome.

Referring now to Figure 3 to Figure 12, the specific rules for safe handling of food products which have been entered by the food administrator into the present example of a food safety alert system, will be discussed for each of the ten (10) typical food handling processes.

Referring to Figure 3, the rules for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (1) food delivery/receival, are that the chilled food must be 5C or less, as measured by the temperature measurement device. Frozen food must be Hard Solid Frozen (HSF), so anything less than an hard exterior means that the food item needs to be rejected. Dry food, fresh fruit and vegetables and bread should be in good condition with no signs of damage to the product or packaging. All food must be within “use by” or “best before” dates marked on the packaging. If deliveries do not comply with the above conditions, a corrective action must be recorded by the food handler.

Referring to Figure 4, the rules for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (2) food storage, are that the coolroom or refrigerator temperature should be 5C or less, as measured by the temperature measurement device. If temperature is above 5C a corrective action must be recorded. The freezer temperature should be -15C or colder as measured by the temperature measurement device, and food inside the freezer must be hard solid frozen (HSF). If temperature is above -15C, or not HSF a corrective action must be recorded.

An example of a report for the process of food storage over time on a particular date is shown in Figure 14. The temperatures of various refrigerators, cool rooms and freezers in a facility are recorded at two times on a certain day, and indicate that this food handling process was completed properly, within the required temperature ranges. This reporting feature comes from the decision-making device of the system, which has evaluated the temperature data which has been recorded, and then determines whether to issue a food safety alert.

Referring to Figure 5, the rules for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (3) defrosting, are that items in the coolroom or refrigerator are to be considered defrosted when the internal core temperature is between 1C and 5C. and cannot be used for cooking until this condition is satisfied. Once defrosted, a food item must be used within 48 hours. If food is not defrosted as above, a corrective action must be recorded.

Referring to Figure 6, the rules for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (4) food preparation, are that preparation and service must be completed to the 2 hour/4 hour preparation rules; these are: for a total preparation time at ambient temperature of less than 2 hours, the food must be refrigerated or used immediately; for a total preparation time at ambient temperature of longer than 2 hours but less than 4 hours, the food must be used immediately; or for a total preparation time at ambient temperature of 4 hours or longer, the food must be thrown out.

If food is not prepared within the 2 hour/4 hour preparation rule, a corrective action must be recorded.

Referring to Figure 7, the rules for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (5) food cooking, are that the finished cooking temperature must reach 75C for the food to be considered cooked, and cannot be cooled or served until this condition is satisfied. The temperature of a bulky item such as meat, must have its temperature measured at its centre, such as via a probe thermometer. If finished cooking temperature is less than 75 C then a corrective action must be recorded.

An example of a report for the process of food cooking at breakfast and lunch times on a particular date is shown in Figure 15. The temperatures of various items of breakfast and lunch foods at various cooking stations within a facility are recorded at the finish of cooking time on a certain day, and this data indicates that this food handling process was completed properly, above the required temperature range. This reporting feature comes from the decision-making device of the system, which has evaluated the temperature data which has been recorded, and then determines whether to issue a food safety alert.

Referring to Figure 8, the rules for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (6) food cooling, are that the food must be cooled within the following parameters: - from 60C or above, to 21C or below, in 2 hours (or less); and from 21C to 5C in a further 4 hours (or less).

If cooling is not completed within these time and temperature rules, a corrective action must be completed.

Referring to Figure 9, the rules for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (7) food reheating, are that the food must be must be reheated to 75C. If food is not reheated to 75C or above, a corrective action must be recorded.

Referring to Figure 10, the rules for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (8) food hot holding (for example under heat lamps whilst on display), are that the food must be must be kept at 60C or higher, and if food falls below 60C a corrective action must be recorded.

Referring to Figure 11, the rules for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (9) food serving, are that the food must be served within the following parameters: - temperature of hot food at the start of service must be 60C or above; temperature of cold food at the start of service must be 5 C or below; temperature of hot food at the finish of service should be 60C or above; and temperature of cold food at the finish of service should be 5C or below.

If service is not completed within these temperature rules, a corrective action must be completed.

Referring to Figure 12, the rule for safe handling of food products which the decision-making device uses during the process of (10) washing up of food handling utensils, is that the dishwasher rinse temperature should be 82C or above. If the rinse temperature is not at 82C or higher, a corrective action must be recorded.

An example report for the process of washing up of food handling utensils on a particular date is shown in Figure 17. The temperatures of rinse water used for dishwashing at various servery stations within a facility are recorded at breakfast, lunch and dinner on a certain day, and this data indicates that this food handling process was completed properly, above the required temperature range. This reporting feature comes from the decision-making device of the system, which has evaluated the temperature data which has been recorded, and then determines whether to issue a food safety alert.

Each of these processes of food handling and the use of food equipment are the subject of evaluation by the system to make a food safety alert directive to food handlers and to the food administrator to take preventative action, in the forms already described. The consequence of those directives can be for the food item to be discarded, possibly in real time prior to service to a diner, or for the food handling equipment to be repaired or better maintained. The point of doing this is to preventatively avoid failures in food hygiene and regulatory compliance for food handling businesses, so that large numbers of people, sometimes being of fragile health and located in aged care facilities or hospitals, are not made ill by food poisoning.

In addition, each of the processes of food handling and the use of food equipment are the subject of evaluation by the system itself in order to self-learn which, in turn, allows the system to perform more efficiently. Over time, and with the compilation of historical data at a particular facility, reports of failed results can be assessed and prioritised by the system for either immediate action by a food administrator, or not. The system can automatically adapt itself and customise its operation to the requirements of particular users, for example to prioritise frequent tasks, the usual order of tasks, and more urgent tasks. The system can also customise its interface depending on who the user identifies themselves to be, depending on their job role. All of these outcomes can improve the speed of use of the system, and ultimately the way in which food is handled in various processes from delivery of raw goods to service of cooked meals, with the overall aim of maximising food hygiene.

The use of a system for data entry about the food handling operations which involves devices such as mobile telephone, a laptop computer, an iPad or other tablet style computer can also make the process more efficient by making use of a personal device with which an operator is most familiar, for example via a downloadable application for iOS or Android systems, which can be installed on the food handler’s smartphone. By inputting information into the system via a device which the user would normally carry around on their person does not make use of the system any more burdensome for them, and eliminates the use of paper records in a wet or hot working environment, for example. In addition, the if the temperature measuring device is in electronic communication with the decision-making device in use, for example via a wireless remote connection to the telephone, computer or tablet, then there also can be installed an application programming interface so that, for example, the Bluetooth-enabled thermometer can communicate therewith.

Provided there is internet coverage via wifi or some other local network to be connected to, the information can be retrieved from all operators with devices on the site, and stored for future use in a remote server (cloud storage computer) meaning that managers or food administrators can be located remotely and can easily determine if a site which may be located on the other side of the state/country is recording the temperatures required, without having to physically be present.

In the foregoing description of certain embodiments, specific terminology has been resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes other technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar technical purpose. Terms such as “left” and right”, “front” and “rear”, “above" and “below” and the like are used as words of convenience to provide reference points and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

The reference in this specification to any prior publication or information is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that the prior publication or information forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavor to which this specification relates.

In this specification, the word “comprising” is to be understood in its “open” sense, that is, in the sense of “including”, and thus not limited to its “closed” sense, that is the sense of “consisting only of’. A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words “comprise”, “comprised” and “comprises” where they appear.

In addition, the foregoing describes only some embodiments of the invention(s), and alterations, modifications, additions and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive.

Furthermore, invention(s) have described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the invention(s). Also, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in conjunction with other embodiments, e.g., aspects of one embodiment may be combined with aspects of another embodiment to realize yet other embodiments. Further, each independent feature or component of any given assembly may constitute an additional embodiment.

Claims (30)

1. A system for monitoring food safety in food handling operations, the system comprising: a. at least one temperature measuring device for providing an output representative of the temperature of one or more food items or food handling equipment; b. at least one timing device for providing an output representative of the time taken in various steps of the food handling operations; and c. a decision-making device which determines whether to issue food safety alerts based on the output of the at least one temperature measuring device and the output of the at least one timing device.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the food handling operations include one or more of the following food handling processes: delivery/receival, cold storage, defrost, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, hot holding, serving and wash up.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one temperature measurement device is adapted for being positioned by a system operator proximal to said food items, or at a location within said food handling equipment.

4. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one temperature measurement device is in electronic communication with the decisionmaking device.

5. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one timing device is in electronic communication with the decision-making device.

6. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the food items include one or more of the following: individual food items which are either uncooked or cooked; and cooked food items which themselves comprise more than one individual food item.

7. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the food handling equipment includes one or more of the following: cool rooms, freezers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, regular ovens, heat lamps, bain maries and dishwashers.

8. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the decisionmaking device determines whether to issue food safety alerts based on whether said food items, or said food handling equipment, has been maintained within predetermined parameters.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the predetermined parameters are based on relevant prescribed rules or legislation for food handling operations.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the determination of the decision-making device is based on at least one of: the time and date of each step; temperatures at start and finish of each step; time intervals between steps.

11. A system as claimed claim 10, wherein the system is configured to produce reports including the outputs from the at least one timing device and the at least one temperature measurement device, as well as the outputs from the decision-making device in relation to the food handling operations.

12. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the food safety alerts include one or more of the following indicators: an audible signal, a readable electronic message, a visual indicator.

13. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more data entry screen(s) for a system operator to select during use, at which the system operator enters information about the food handling operations, wherein the one or more data entry screen(s) are in electronic communication with the decision-making device.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein at the time of use of the data entry screen(s), the system operator inputs personal identity information.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the decision-making device considers the cumulative historical frequency and timing of use of the data entry screen(s) by a particular system operator, and determines the order in which the data entry screen(s) are configured to appear for that system operator.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the historically most frequently used data entry screen comes first, and those with lesser frequency of use are ranked to appear after that.

17. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the decision-making device considers the cumulative historical frequency and time of use of the data entry screen(s) by all system operators at a location, and determines the order in which the data entry screen(s) are configured to appear.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the historically most frequently used data entry screen comes first, and those with lesser frequency of use are ranked to appear after that.

19. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one indicia reader for determining information about the delivery/receival of one or more food item(s) for use, wherein the indicia reader is in electronic communication with the decision-making device.

20. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a system operator inputs information about one or more of the following: the name of the supplier; the as received condition of the said food item(s); the use-by dates of the food item(s); the best-before dates of the food item(s).

21. A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the decision-making device considers the cumulative historical frequency and timing of the delivery/receival of the one or more food item(s) for use, and determines the order in which the name of the supplier is configured to appear on a visual display for a system operator.

22. A system as claimed in any one of claim 19 to claim 21, wherein the decisionmaking device considers the cumulative historical frequency and timing of the delivery/receival of the one or more food item(s) for use, and determines the order in which the said food items are configured to appear on a visual display for a system operator.

23. A system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the historically most frequently delivered food items come first, and those of lesser frequency are ranked lower.

24. A system as claimed in claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the historically earliest delivered food items come first, and those delivered later are ranked lower.

25. A temperature measuring device for providing an output representative of the temperature of one or more food items or food handling equipment in a system for monitoring food safety as claimed in any one of claim 1 to claim 24, wherein the temperature measuring device is in electronic communication with the decision-making device in use.

26. A temperature measuring device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the electronic communication to the decision-making device is via wireless remote connection.

27. A temperature measuring device as claimed in claim 25 or claim 26, wherein the electronic communication to the decision-making device uses an application programming interface.

28. An application programming interface in use for providing an electronic communication between a temperature measuring device and a system for monitoring food safety as claimed in any one of claim 1 to claim 24.

29. An application programming interface as claimed in claim 28, wherein the electronic communication is with the decision-making device of the system.

30. An application programming interface as claimed in claim 29, wherein the electronic communication to the decision-making device is via wireless remote connection.