Food quality and safety monitoring system
AssigneeEmerson Retail Services, Inc.
InventorsNeal Starling, Paul Wickberg, Abtar Singh, Thomas J Mathews
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Abstract
The present invention provides a food quality and safety monitoring system and method for evaluating food characteristic management for improving the safety of perishable food products for human consumption and the shelf life of perishable food product. A sensor within a refrigeration case may be continuously monitored by a controller to calculate a food characteristic index. The food characteristic index can be monitored over time to evaluate the food characteristic management of a particular store or group of stores.
Claims25
A controller for a refrigeration system in communication with at least one sensor and operable to continuously receive data for calculating a first food characteristic index approximating a first bacteria level and a second food characteristic index approximating a second bacteria level.
A refrigeration system comprising:
- at least one refrigeration case;
- at least one sensor;
- and
- a controller in communication with said at least one sensor and operable to continuously receive data for calculating a first food characteristic index approximating a first bacteria level and a second food characteristic index approximating a second bacteria level.
A method for calculating a food characteristic index comprising:
- collecting temperature data of food products disposed within a refrigerated space;
- transmitting said temperature data to a controller;
- determining a first food characteristic index approximating a first bacteria level as a function of said temperature data;
- and
- determining a second food characteristic index approximating a second bacteria level as a function of said temperature data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.