Internet of Things Food Safety System Launched To Wirelessly Monitor Food Temperature

Telecommunications company, TELUS, has joined with Internet of Things (IoT) tech firm, Digi International, to offer automated monitoring of food temperature to Canadian food companies. The product, called Digi Honeycomb, uses wireless technology to continuously monitor the temperature of perishable food products.

Food safety regulations require businesses to keep a close eye on the temperature of food items, both in transit and in the store. Without proper recordkeeping and reporting on the temperature of these goods, food companies run the risk of incurring steep fines and harming their brand.

In addition to helping food businesses – including restaurants, grocery stores, transportation companies and warehouses – maintain compliance with food safety regulations, Digi Honeycomb can also reduce labour-associated costs and potentially prevent losses due to spoilage. Much like a home security company, Digi Honeycomb works around the clock to monitor food temperatures and alert companies to potential issues before they become widespread.

“Temperature-controlled transportation and storage of perishable items is crucial to the reputation of any food-service brand,” said Michael Cihra, TELUS vice president of Internet of Things and Emerging Markets. “Nothing can be more damaging to a business than food-safety issues, however monitoring, logging and reporting temperatures can be extremely labour intensive. Digi Honeycomb automates the process; smart sensors provide real-time data that will help businesses prevent issues before they occur while making operations run more efficiently.”

Wireless sensors are installed in key temperature-controlled areas of food storage to continuously monitor conditions. To reflect the different temperature environments needed in various situations – including refrigerated, frozen, ambient and hot-holding – automatic alerts can be programmed to send a warning whenever temperatures deviate from the norm.

“Being selected as a strategic partner by TELUS is exceptional recognition of our solution,” said Jamie Williams, vice-president and general manager Cold Chain Solutions, Digi International. “Through TELUS, a vast number of food-service businesses will be able to quickly and cost effectively activate a state-of-the-art food-safety solution from one of Canada’s most trusted organizations.”