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Follow on Google News | Food Storage Monitoring Protects Perishables For Small BusinessBy: CAS DataLoggers CAS DataLoggers provided the food storage monitoring solution for Tulip Tree Creamery, a small business located on the northwest side of Indianapolis. After 20 years of international consulting for other creameries, owner, Fons Smits decided it was time to produce hand crafted specialty cheeses himself. Installation Mr. Smits decided that the T&D RTR-500 Wireless Data Logging System was the right solution. The system is comprised of the RTR-500AW (https://www.dataloggerinc.com/ The T&D RTR-500AW Wi-Fi Data collector automates the retrieval of all data points from the entire group of data loggers, aggregates and sends the data to the FREE T&D Cloud Service. Wireless communication between these units and the base unit has a range of 500 ft. unobstructed while current readings are visible locally on their LCD displays. Smits explains, "I wanted to see detailed data from my aging rooms because if conditions are out of range like low humidity, the mold-ripened cheeses will dry out and have to be disposed of. We store our cheese product in a 3500 sq ft. area in a larger warehouse so I have the data loggers on the outside of each aging room with the probe wired inside the room through a hole I drilled. The base station is in the corridor between the rooms mounted on a wall, this wireless setup works really well in our warehouse." "Each room has its own air compressor system but we always want the best product quality, and we need more control of the air systems. I can only do that after I measure the temperature and humidity in the rooms directly." This setup makes the most recent data easily accessible from the corridor. Through their configurable sampling rates, the loggers are set to take a reading every 10 minutes and have a 16,000 point storage capacity. Each of the four aging rooms stores its own style of cheese which requires different conditions to mature post-production. The more aromatic cheeses need to stay moist on the outside to grow, so they require high humidity. In contrast, natural rind cheeses need a lower humidity, but if it goes too low the cheese will dry out impacting its quality. Wireless food storage monitoring (https://www.dataloggerinc.com/ Regulatory Needs The collected environmental data is also useful. Smits continues, "There are new HACCP (https://www.fda.gov/ "We also have a regular state board of health dairy inspections every three months since we are a Grade B facility. The board requires that our facility has a temperature monitoring method in place in each room where we store product. Our T&D system will give them more trust in what we're doing…I can show them the environmental data of any given period of time so they can see that the readings are within safe levels and that we've made an investment for quality and safety." Alarm Capability Protects Products 24/7 In case of an out of tolerance condition, the T&D base station automatically sends alarms directly to designated email addresses or can activate a local alarm using the built-in relay. No local computer is required because the RTR-500AW determines whether temperature or humidity excursion has occurred and then generates the alarm notification. Owner Fons Smits describes his response to an alarm situation, "In the dairy industry you have to act on alarms ASAP because if temperatures get too high bacteria can quickly develop. If I receive a notification I drive out here and immediately adjust the thermostat or humidistat as needed. If the HVAC system fails the T&D base station immediately sends me an email so I have time to move our cheese out of the affected aging room and into an unaffected one." Benefits Since installation, Tulip Tree Creamery's new T&D system automates environmental monitoring and alarming in every cheese aging room giving them a low-cost wireless solution. However, Smits already sees the potential in the future to monitor the cooling tank containing his milk supply, and also to monitor his pasteurization process which will make his daily routine even more convenient. For further information on T&D RTR Wireless Data Logging Systems (https://www.dataloggerinc.com/ End
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