To provide better service in alerting the American people to unsafe, hazardous or defective products, six federal agencies with vastly different jurisdictions have joined together to create www.recalls.gov -- a "one stop shop" for U.S. Government recalls.
Follow the link below to obtain the latest recall information, to report a dangerous product, or to learn important safety tips.
http://www.recalls.gov/
Sentry9000 The Complete Food and Kitchen Safety Stop.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Wary of major shifts in school lunch focus
Among many items on the national legislative agenda of importance to food manufacturing, reauthorization of the National School Lunch Program may not win as much attention as it deserves. In contrast to past reauthorizations, when spending limits were the main matter, this time it is likely that efforts will center on changing the quality and quantity of food made available. Considering that the program affects foods served to almost all school age children, its potential impact on eating habits of a huge swath of the consuming public, now and into the future, is striking.
To be specific, school lunch aid is available in 99% of U.S. public schools and 83% of private and public schools combined. In addition, the School Breakfast Program is offered in 85% of public schools. Saying that no other federal program affects food consumption more than school lunch and school breakfast is no exaggeration. Reauthorization comes at a time when attitudes toward school lunches have been radically changed by rising concern with what children are eating and how this has meant inadequate nutrition and obesity worries.
In contrast to the program’s start in the 1940s when the guiding principle was a minimum level of calories for each student, current concerns would change that minimum by adding a maximum. Further, the Institute of Medicine has recommended to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which manages the program, that it be revised to focus on increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables and whole-grain-rich foods and reducing saturated fat and sodium. Hardly anything underscores the shift under way in federal food policies than the way one of the original school lunch goals is being questioned. The program got its start in 1946 with the passage of the National School Lunch Act. Early support came from agricultural advocates who promoted the program as a wise way of using the rising stocks of grain and other commodities acquired by the Commodity Credit Corp. in supporting farm prices. That backing led to U.S.D.A. management. Significantly, that support is still essential, since it will be the congressional committees on agriculture that will take up reauthorization. The concept of “additionality” has figured prominently from the program’s start.
This concept measures the amount by which a dollar spent on food by the government results in how much additional food consumption. The measure is in terms of dollars and cents, even though early sponsors spoke of bushels of wheat, pounds of butter and wheels of cheese. Lawmakers often pointed to the program’s nutritional benefits for children and financial aid for school districts as secondary to the help in disposing of surpluses. If there also was a gain in spending on food outside of schools, so much the better. All of that “additionality” has taken on a new complexion due to concerns about obesity and children eating too much of the wrong food. Several studies hint that any boosting of consumption on account of school lunch should now be interpreted as a policy failure when measured against what should be nutritional goals. Overconsumption of calories is now seen as a, if not the, primary challenge to the health of children. Rather than showing how much consumption is bolstered, the program now gauges success by how much school meal nutrition has improved.
In abandoning any role for the school lunch program in building markets, leaders in this shift are risking loss of farm lobby support. Since this backing has been important to past legislation, it seems likely that lobbyists not usually associated with school lunch programs will have to become involved. Even as food manufacturers are very aware of the program and its impact on retail volume, the fundamental concern has been with the way school lunches influence future eating habits. At stake in the current effort not just to reauthorize, but also to rewrite, is a great force in the food marketplace of the next several decades.
To be specific, school lunch aid is available in 99% of U.S. public schools and 83% of private and public schools combined. In addition, the School Breakfast Program is offered in 85% of public schools. Saying that no other federal program affects food consumption more than school lunch and school breakfast is no exaggeration. Reauthorization comes at a time when attitudes toward school lunches have been radically changed by rising concern with what children are eating and how this has meant inadequate nutrition and obesity worries.
In contrast to the program’s start in the 1940s when the guiding principle was a minimum level of calories for each student, current concerns would change that minimum by adding a maximum. Further, the Institute of Medicine has recommended to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which manages the program, that it be revised to focus on increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables and whole-grain-rich foods and reducing saturated fat and sodium. Hardly anything underscores the shift under way in federal food policies than the way one of the original school lunch goals is being questioned. The program got its start in 1946 with the passage of the National School Lunch Act. Early support came from agricultural advocates who promoted the program as a wise way of using the rising stocks of grain and other commodities acquired by the Commodity Credit Corp. in supporting farm prices. That backing led to U.S.D.A. management. Significantly, that support is still essential, since it will be the congressional committees on agriculture that will take up reauthorization. The concept of “additionality” has figured prominently from the program’s start.
This concept measures the amount by which a dollar spent on food by the government results in how much additional food consumption. The measure is in terms of dollars and cents, even though early sponsors spoke of bushels of wheat, pounds of butter and wheels of cheese. Lawmakers often pointed to the program’s nutritional benefits for children and financial aid for school districts as secondary to the help in disposing of surpluses. If there also was a gain in spending on food outside of schools, so much the better. All of that “additionality” has taken on a new complexion due to concerns about obesity and children eating too much of the wrong food. Several studies hint that any boosting of consumption on account of school lunch should now be interpreted as a policy failure when measured against what should be nutritional goals. Overconsumption of calories is now seen as a, if not the, primary challenge to the health of children. Rather than showing how much consumption is bolstered, the program now gauges success by how much school meal nutrition has improved.
In abandoning any role for the school lunch program in building markets, leaders in this shift are risking loss of farm lobby support. Since this backing has been important to past legislation, it seems likely that lobbyists not usually associated with school lunch programs will have to become involved. Even as food manufacturers are very aware of the program and its impact on retail volume, the fundamental concern has been with the way school lunches influence future eating habits. At stake in the current effort not just to reauthorize, but also to rewrite, is a great force in the food marketplace of the next several decades.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Industry expresses support for nutrition
WASHINGTON – Many segments of the food and beverage industry have come out in support of legislation to improve the health and nutrition of products sold in the nation’s schools and through other nutrition programs. The legislation has been proposed by U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. She unveiled the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 on March 17.The bill, which would provide $4.5 billion in new child nutrition program funding over 10 years, would mark the largest investment ever made in federal child nutrition programs. Previously, the highest increase was $500 million over 10 years.
“The Grocery Manufacturers Association strongly supports efforts to feed many more children through school lunch and breakfast programs and to increase the number of healthy choices in the cafeteria,” said Scott Faber, vice-president of federal affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “We share Senator Lincoln's priorities for a stronger Child Nutrition Act, including increased access to the school meals programs, science-based standards for foods sold in schools, more healthy foods available in the cafeteria, and more education about healthy diets. “In particular, we believe that Congress should give U.S.D.A. clear authority to set science-based standards for foods sold in schools during the school day. The school environment is a special environment, and U.S.D.A. should be given the power to establish nutrition standards for competitive foods. We believe that the school cafeteria line can be on the front lines of feeding children while ending childhood obesity within a generation.
We look forward to working with Senator Lincoln on these provisions.” The American Beverage Association echoed many of the sentiments expressed by the G.M.A. “As parents and grandparents, we recognize that schools are special places," said Susan Neely, president and chief executive officer of the A.B.A. “Industry has spent the past several years removing full-calorie soft drinks from schools across America and replacing them with lower-calorie, smaller-portion beverages. We believe this standard, which is already implemented and working, provides a strong cornerstone for developing a new federal nutrition standard for all foods and beverages sold in schools.”
Hank Izzo, vice-president of research and development for Mars Chocolate, US, McLean, Va., said, “Mars believes that schools are a unique environment, and we strongly support a new national school nutrition standard that will ensure children have access to high quality nutritious snacks at school.” Specifically, the company supports new standards that are consistent with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published under the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act, as well as other authoritative sources such as scientific recommendations, state and local standards and other voluntary standards that have been developed as best practices.
“The Grocery Manufacturers Association strongly supports efforts to feed many more children through school lunch and breakfast programs and to increase the number of healthy choices in the cafeteria,” said Scott Faber, vice-president of federal affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “We share Senator Lincoln's priorities for a stronger Child Nutrition Act, including increased access to the school meals programs, science-based standards for foods sold in schools, more healthy foods available in the cafeteria, and more education about healthy diets. “In particular, we believe that Congress should give U.S.D.A. clear authority to set science-based standards for foods sold in schools during the school day. The school environment is a special environment, and U.S.D.A. should be given the power to establish nutrition standards for competitive foods. We believe that the school cafeteria line can be on the front lines of feeding children while ending childhood obesity within a generation.
We look forward to working with Senator Lincoln on these provisions.” The American Beverage Association echoed many of the sentiments expressed by the G.M.A. “As parents and grandparents, we recognize that schools are special places," said Susan Neely, president and chief executive officer of the A.B.A. “Industry has spent the past several years removing full-calorie soft drinks from schools across America and replacing them with lower-calorie, smaller-portion beverages. We believe this standard, which is already implemented and working, provides a strong cornerstone for developing a new federal nutrition standard for all foods and beverages sold in schools.”
Hank Izzo, vice-president of research and development for Mars Chocolate, US, McLean, Va., said, “Mars believes that schools are a unique environment, and we strongly support a new national school nutrition standard that will ensure children have access to high quality nutritious snacks at school.” Specifically, the company supports new standards that are consistent with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published under the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act, as well as other authoritative sources such as scientific recommendations, state and local standards and other voluntary standards that have been developed as best practices.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sentry9000 featured product at the Texas Region 4 Annual Child Nutrition Showcase
The Future of Food Safety Technology - Paperless HACCP Documentation and Digital Production Reports.
Sentry9000, the leader in Food Safety Management is proud to announce that its cutting edge Digital HACCP System will be showcased as a “Featured Product” at this years Region 4 Annual Child Nutrition Showcase on March 4th at the William L. McKinney Conference Center in Houston, Texas.
Sentry9000 Digital HACCP System is the pioneer in automated data collection for school foodservice. Sentry9000 is a completely paperless HACCP Documentation, Temperature Monitoring, Kitchen and Food Safety Management System.
Based on Standard Operating Procedures required by the USDA and The National Food Service Management Institute Guidelines, Sentry9000 has put all of the necessary food safety forms into a handheld computer that records real-time data and wirelessly transmits critical information to a customized website for each school in a district for easy viewing and for monitoring. It is Internet based so it also can be viewed from an offsite location.
Not only does Sentry9000 record data but it will analyze the information collected and alert management when out of limit conditions occur. Maintaining safe food temperatures is critical in preserving Food Safety. If a temperature collected is out of the designated safe temperature zone a Corrective Action will be automatically created requiring the problem to be fixed to allow the program to move forward.
Digital data collection changes the work dynamic because the data is Real-Time. It records WHO takes temperatures, WHEN temperatures are taken, and WHAT menu items temperatures are taken. Accountability creates a more responsible kitchen staff. There is much improved data accuracy because temperatures are sent directly from a wireless Bluetooth temperature probe to the handheld computer without transcription error, time recording errors, forgetting and the other human errors that occur. Everything is time and date stamped with a digital signature of the person inputting the data when they take the data.
Sentry9000 prides its self on being an environmentally friendly company. Taking the necessary steps to eliminate ALL paperwork associated with HAACP and Food Safety in the kitchen and the ancillary programs that benefit HACCP. Sentry9000 not only provides the means to do away with all the paperwork, but also provides a kitchen management tool. Nowhere is this more evident than on the home page for each school where Incidents, Reports, Corrective Actions, Freezer and Cooler Temperatures and Food History are all available at a glance.
One of the greatest features of the Sentry9000 system is the Reporting capabilities. Once the data has been collected it can be organized into concise, informative reports.
Sentry9000 is a Food Safety company with a suite of products to enhance your Food Safety Program that is based on the HACCP program. These include:
Temperature monitoring of coolers and freezers – Sentry9000 installs wireless sensors that monitor the temperature and provide alarms and alerts when conditions arise for concern. This includes out of limit temperature conditions as well as lack of signal because of electrical failure. Monitoring of coolers and freezers are an ancillary program of HACCP that provides insurance against the loss of a freezer full of food over that long weekend or scheduled break.
Digital Production Reports – Sentry9000 utilizes the HACCP system that provides a production report based on meals that are prescheduled and allows easy changes to menu items and quantities at the different school grade levels. It can provide the pull amount for each ingredient and accounts for disposal of menu items at the end of the meal.
Menu Scheduling – Sentry9000 makes menu scheduling a breeze, have the entire years menus scheduled in minutes. The menu can be viewed monthly, yearly, or daily. Plus, the calendar on the Homepage allows for quick navigation through past, present, or future menu dates.
Employee Training – Sentry9000 includes a Training Schedule and Record as part of the basic HACCP program. All employees assigned to a single school will be on the Training Record for that school. The training that is scheduled will appear in an easily viewable schedule and a permanent record of training and other administrative actions.
For more information on Sentry9000 please visit wwww.sentry9000.com. To set up a meeting or free demo for your school please call 1-800-519-7657 or email information@sentry9000.com. Don’t forget to stop by their booth if you are in the area for the Region 4 Annual Child Nutrition Showcase on March 4th at the William L. McKinney Conference Center in Houston, Texas.
Sentry9000, the leader in Food Safety Management is proud to announce that its cutting edge Digital HACCP System will be showcased as a “Featured Product” at this years Region 4 Annual Child Nutrition Showcase on March 4th at the William L. McKinney Conference Center in Houston, Texas.
Sentry9000 Digital HACCP System is the pioneer in automated data collection for school foodservice. Sentry9000 is a completely paperless HACCP Documentation, Temperature Monitoring, Kitchen and Food Safety Management System.
Based on Standard Operating Procedures required by the USDA and The National Food Service Management Institute Guidelines, Sentry9000 has put all of the necessary food safety forms into a handheld computer that records real-time data and wirelessly transmits critical information to a customized website for each school in a district for easy viewing and for monitoring. It is Internet based so it also can be viewed from an offsite location.
Not only does Sentry9000 record data but it will analyze the information collected and alert management when out of limit conditions occur. Maintaining safe food temperatures is critical in preserving Food Safety. If a temperature collected is out of the designated safe temperature zone a Corrective Action will be automatically created requiring the problem to be fixed to allow the program to move forward.
Digital data collection changes the work dynamic because the data is Real-Time. It records WHO takes temperatures, WHEN temperatures are taken, and WHAT menu items temperatures are taken. Accountability creates a more responsible kitchen staff. There is much improved data accuracy because temperatures are sent directly from a wireless Bluetooth temperature probe to the handheld computer without transcription error, time recording errors, forgetting and the other human errors that occur. Everything is time and date stamped with a digital signature of the person inputting the data when they take the data.
Sentry9000 prides its self on being an environmentally friendly company. Taking the necessary steps to eliminate ALL paperwork associated with HAACP and Food Safety in the kitchen and the ancillary programs that benefit HACCP. Sentry9000 not only provides the means to do away with all the paperwork, but also provides a kitchen management tool. Nowhere is this more evident than on the home page for each school where Incidents, Reports, Corrective Actions, Freezer and Cooler Temperatures and Food History are all available at a glance.
One of the greatest features of the Sentry9000 system is the Reporting capabilities. Once the data has been collected it can be organized into concise, informative reports.
Sentry9000 is a Food Safety company with a suite of products to enhance your Food Safety Program that is based on the HACCP program. These include:
Temperature monitoring of coolers and freezers – Sentry9000 installs wireless sensors that monitor the temperature and provide alarms and alerts when conditions arise for concern. This includes out of limit temperature conditions as well as lack of signal because of electrical failure. Monitoring of coolers and freezers are an ancillary program of HACCP that provides insurance against the loss of a freezer full of food over that long weekend or scheduled break.
Digital Production Reports – Sentry9000 utilizes the HACCP system that provides a production report based on meals that are prescheduled and allows easy changes to menu items and quantities at the different school grade levels. It can provide the pull amount for each ingredient and accounts for disposal of menu items at the end of the meal.
Menu Scheduling – Sentry9000 makes menu scheduling a breeze, have the entire years menus scheduled in minutes. The menu can be viewed monthly, yearly, or daily. Plus, the calendar on the Homepage allows for quick navigation through past, present, or future menu dates.
Employee Training – Sentry9000 includes a Training Schedule and Record as part of the basic HACCP program. All employees assigned to a single school will be on the Training Record for that school. The training that is scheduled will appear in an easily viewable schedule and a permanent record of training and other administrative actions.
For more information on Sentry9000 please visit wwww.sentry9000.com. To set up a meeting or free demo for your school please call 1-800-519-7657 or email information@sentry9000.com. Don’t forget to stop by their booth if you are in the area for the Region 4 Annual Child Nutrition Showcase on March 4th at the William L. McKinney Conference Center in Houston, Texas.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Using an Email Address as a Business Card
Using an Email Address as a Business Card
The advent of the business card was in France during the monarchy of Louie XIV. The first cards used were actual playing cards with signatures, promissory notes and other comments and were called “Visiting Cards”. This transpired into the current business card through several different juxtaposes of form and content. (http://www.belightsoft.com/products/composer/historyfr.php)
Now with the invention of the internet and the digital revolution the newest style of business card is the email address.
Many have their username reflect a personality trait that they have, or think they have, or wish they had. This is somewhat like the tattoo’s that emboss many individuals in today’s society.
More important though is the use of the email address as an actual Business Card to replace the typewritten, embossed, engraved, colored, two-sided and picturesque cards that are commonplace in addition to the more austere single color, or lack of color(white), and black colored font.
Note the email address of the professional that represents a business.
Jane.Doe@mycompany.com
JohnSmith@ourcompany.com
CJones@thecompany.com
ClarkL@company.com
There is a lot of information available in that email address.
There is the name.
Note that the first two contain the full name and one of them puts a period between the first and last names so there is no doubt about the separation.
There is a last name in all of the above that provides a good starting point even if the remainder of the name is shortened to an initial.
There is the company.
The domain name should provide the link to the company’s web site. This will provide information about the company. It will provide an address, a phone number, a fax number and maybe a staff directory. It will also provide information about the company, what it is and what it does. It has established credibility.
The email address has provided you just as much, and more, information than will a beautifully developed, printed business card. It is also more useful because you don’t have to worry about filing the business card and remembering the person’s name or the company name because you have an address book in your email program with search capabilities and folder differentiation to take care of things like that for you.
More important is that you now do not have to type the email address of that person into the email that you are sending as you will be able to copy and paste or type in a couple of initials and be offered a list of available email addresses that meet that criteria from which to choose.
There is also the other side to the “business email address”.
JanesStore@gmail.com
TheBaker@hotmail.com
and the list goes on.
These type email addresses are fine for personal mail as they engender the relationship of the sender to their audience. However, it does absolutely nothing from a business standpoint.
You don’t have a valid name for the person. You don’t have a company web site address from the domain name. You don’t have the information afforded by access to that company web site. You will just have to wait until the arrival of that infamous paper business card to proceed.
Remember that first appearance. Now it is your email address before it is yourself or your business card.
Plus, every business card that you don’t use saves a twig!
The advent of the business card was in France during the monarchy of Louie XIV. The first cards used were actual playing cards with signatures, promissory notes and other comments and were called “Visiting Cards”. This transpired into the current business card through several different juxtaposes of form and content. (http://www.belightsoft.com/products/composer/historyfr.php)
Now with the invention of the internet and the digital revolution the newest style of business card is the email address.
Many have their username reflect a personality trait that they have, or think they have, or wish they had. This is somewhat like the tattoo’s that emboss many individuals in today’s society.
More important though is the use of the email address as an actual Business Card to replace the typewritten, embossed, engraved, colored, two-sided and picturesque cards that are commonplace in addition to the more austere single color, or lack of color(white), and black colored font.
Note the email address of the professional that represents a business.
Jane.Doe@mycompany.com
JohnSmith@ourcompany.com
CJones@thecompany.com
ClarkL@company.com
There is a lot of information available in that email address.
There is the name.
Note that the first two contain the full name and one of them puts a period between the first and last names so there is no doubt about the separation.
There is a last name in all of the above that provides a good starting point even if the remainder of the name is shortened to an initial.
There is the company.
The domain name should provide the link to the company’s web site. This will provide information about the company. It will provide an address, a phone number, a fax number and maybe a staff directory. It will also provide information about the company, what it is and what it does. It has established credibility.
The email address has provided you just as much, and more, information than will a beautifully developed, printed business card. It is also more useful because you don’t have to worry about filing the business card and remembering the person’s name or the company name because you have an address book in your email program with search capabilities and folder differentiation to take care of things like that for you.
More important is that you now do not have to type the email address of that person into the email that you are sending as you will be able to copy and paste or type in a couple of initials and be offered a list of available email addresses that meet that criteria from which to choose.
There is also the other side to the “business email address”.
JanesStore@gmail.com
TheBaker@hotmail.com
and the list goes on.
These type email addresses are fine for personal mail as they engender the relationship of the sender to their audience. However, it does absolutely nothing from a business standpoint.
You don’t have a valid name for the person. You don’t have a company web site address from the domain name. You don’t have the information afforded by access to that company web site. You will just have to wait until the arrival of that infamous paper business card to proceed.
Remember that first appearance. Now it is your email address before it is yourself or your business card.
Plus, every business card that you don’t use saves a twig!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sentry9000 Showcased at the 2009 Health & Nutrion Expo in Lubbock, Tx.
Sentry9000, a leader in Food Safety Management is proud to announce that its environmentally friendly Bluetooth Temperature Probe, Hand-held PDA, and Web-based Data Management System will be showcased at the 2009 Health & Nutrition Expo in Lubbock, Texas on December 10, 2009.
The Sentry9000 Digital HACCP Food Service Management System takes advantage of the latest in Bluetooth technology and web-based data organization and storage to increase safety in the food service industry. Sentry9000 was developed in 2005 in response to the USDA mandate requiring school cafeterias to have a documented HACCP and food safety program in place. The USDA Guidelines and the subsequent SOP’s issued by the National Food Safety Management Institute (NFSMI) at the University of Mississippi requires not only HACCP, but also the additional preventative measures associated with an overall food safety program.
This includes collecting and storing data regarding receiving ingredients, ingredient storage temperatures, hot and cold equipment holding temperatures, sink and dishwasher water temperatures and the routine completion of a 3-page food safety checklist developed by the USDA.
Sentry9000 has revolutionized data collection to meet the HACCP as well as the ancillary requirements of the mandate. Sentry9000 uses a small, handheld computer, Personal Digital Assistant(PDA), that has all the required food safety forms downloaded on a user-friendly interface. The PDA also communicates with a Bluetooth Temperature Probe that wirelessly captures the prepared, cooked, and served hot and cold food temperatures. The temperature data collected is transmitted real-time to a customized website that organizes the data into an easily accessible format.
The website not only organizes and stores the daily food and equipment temperatures for each kitchen, but is also a very powerful management tool. The web site is a cornucopia of information with powerful reporting tools for viewing data in many different formats. A Job Info page is created for each menu item and reflects all the actions in detail for that menu item from cooking, to serving, to leftovers, to reheating and also includes all the warmer and serving line temperatures during the meals. In the case of a regulatory concern or a judicial concern, this is the information that shows that the cafeteria met all of the requirements expected to provide a safe food product.
With the website’s Reporting Tool, reports can be created to organize the information collected by one day, one week, one month or 10 years of data. Sentry9000’s custom website also provides tools for recording and managing employee training records, and tools for inventory and equipment management. Sentry9000 was created to enhance the food safety protocol, but has expanded to be a complete food service management system.
The obvious advantage to digital data vs. paper data is the savings of time and labor which results in money savings, but more importantly is the increase in personal responsibility, accountability and accuracy in food handling and preparation that comes with digital and automated data collection. This provides the basis for improving the food safety procedures and overall operation of the kitchen food preparation.
The USDA HACCP guidelines and the NFSMI SOP’s provide paper forms and instructions for accomplishing the tasks. However, the questions of interpretation, actual accomplishment, truthful and timely data entry and conformity of procedure do arise. It is interesting to note that directors learn that their managers had not been doing the tasks as they had imagined they were once Sentry9000 is installed and the facts are known. With Sentry9000 in place, the exact time when the temperature is taken and who is taking the temperature is recorded and transmitted real-time to the website. All data entered is coded with a digital signature, a date and time stamp and it cannot be erased.
Sentry9000 not only collects data, but analyzes the data and automatically generates a corrective action form if the data does not meet pre-set requirements. When data is entered on the PDA that is outside the limits for any cooking or cold food temperatures or when there is a NO answer that should be a YES, a corrective action form immediately appears and provides the options to correct the problem…..continue cooking, rapidly chill, discard, etc.
Food service personnel can’t forget to take a temperature. Workers can’t take a temperature now and hope to remember to record it later. The best compliment for Sentry9000 came from a cafeteria worker when she said, “It makes us do things right.”
The Sentry9000 HACCP Food Service Management System
Eliminates the subjectivity related to human error.
Eliminates the objective errors related to human error.
Uses web-based information organization and storage for easy access to critical data.
Initiates accountability with digital time stamped data collection that is transmitted real-time via internet.
Provides extensive savings in labor, material, maintenance and storage associated with using paper forms.
Creates an environmentally friendly solution to information collection and storage for the food service industry.
Sentry9000 Inc. is a food safety and technology company; not a hardware company. Dr. Larry Wyatt, President and founder of Sentry9000 Inc., has been actively involved in food safety since 1973. Dr. Wyatt has worked with HACCP, food safety and quality control at Ralston-Purina, Red Lobster, Silliker Laboratories and The Cheesecake Factory. He has used his more than 30 years of food safety experience to develop the premier food safety system for food service industry.
For more information on Sentry9000 please visit wwww.sentry9000.com. To set up a meeting or free demo for please call 1-800-519-7657 or email information@sentry9000.com.
The Sentry9000 Digital HACCP Food Service Management System takes advantage of the latest in Bluetooth technology and web-based data organization and storage to increase safety in the food service industry. Sentry9000 was developed in 2005 in response to the USDA mandate requiring school cafeterias to have a documented HACCP and food safety program in place. The USDA Guidelines and the subsequent SOP’s issued by the National Food Safety Management Institute (NFSMI) at the University of Mississippi requires not only HACCP, but also the additional preventative measures associated with an overall food safety program.
This includes collecting and storing data regarding receiving ingredients, ingredient storage temperatures, hot and cold equipment holding temperatures, sink and dishwasher water temperatures and the routine completion of a 3-page food safety checklist developed by the USDA.
Sentry9000 has revolutionized data collection to meet the HACCP as well as the ancillary requirements of the mandate. Sentry9000 uses a small, handheld computer, Personal Digital Assistant(PDA), that has all the required food safety forms downloaded on a user-friendly interface. The PDA also communicates with a Bluetooth Temperature Probe that wirelessly captures the prepared, cooked, and served hot and cold food temperatures. The temperature data collected is transmitted real-time to a customized website that organizes the data into an easily accessible format.
The website not only organizes and stores the daily food and equipment temperatures for each kitchen, but is also a very powerful management tool. The web site is a cornucopia of information with powerful reporting tools for viewing data in many different formats. A Job Info page is created for each menu item and reflects all the actions in detail for that menu item from cooking, to serving, to leftovers, to reheating and also includes all the warmer and serving line temperatures during the meals. In the case of a regulatory concern or a judicial concern, this is the information that shows that the cafeteria met all of the requirements expected to provide a safe food product.
With the website’s Reporting Tool, reports can be created to organize the information collected by one day, one week, one month or 10 years of data. Sentry9000’s custom website also provides tools for recording and managing employee training records, and tools for inventory and equipment management. Sentry9000 was created to enhance the food safety protocol, but has expanded to be a complete food service management system.
The obvious advantage to digital data vs. paper data is the savings of time and labor which results in money savings, but more importantly is the increase in personal responsibility, accountability and accuracy in food handling and preparation that comes with digital and automated data collection. This provides the basis for improving the food safety procedures and overall operation of the kitchen food preparation.
The USDA HACCP guidelines and the NFSMI SOP’s provide paper forms and instructions for accomplishing the tasks. However, the questions of interpretation, actual accomplishment, truthful and timely data entry and conformity of procedure do arise. It is interesting to note that directors learn that their managers had not been doing the tasks as they had imagined they were once Sentry9000 is installed and the facts are known. With Sentry9000 in place, the exact time when the temperature is taken and who is taking the temperature is recorded and transmitted real-time to the website. All data entered is coded with a digital signature, a date and time stamp and it cannot be erased.
Sentry9000 not only collects data, but analyzes the data and automatically generates a corrective action form if the data does not meet pre-set requirements. When data is entered on the PDA that is outside the limits for any cooking or cold food temperatures or when there is a NO answer that should be a YES, a corrective action form immediately appears and provides the options to correct the problem…..continue cooking, rapidly chill, discard, etc.
Food service personnel can’t forget to take a temperature. Workers can’t take a temperature now and hope to remember to record it later. The best compliment for Sentry9000 came from a cafeteria worker when she said, “It makes us do things right.”
The Sentry9000 HACCP Food Service Management System
Eliminates the subjectivity related to human error.
Eliminates the objective errors related to human error.
Uses web-based information organization and storage for easy access to critical data.
Initiates accountability with digital time stamped data collection that is transmitted real-time via internet.
Provides extensive savings in labor, material, maintenance and storage associated with using paper forms.
Creates an environmentally friendly solution to information collection and storage for the food service industry.
Sentry9000 Inc. is a food safety and technology company; not a hardware company. Dr. Larry Wyatt, President and founder of Sentry9000 Inc., has been actively involved in food safety since 1973. Dr. Wyatt has worked with HACCP, food safety and quality control at Ralston-Purina, Red Lobster, Silliker Laboratories and The Cheesecake Factory. He has used his more than 30 years of food safety experience to develop the premier food safety system for food service industry.
For more information on Sentry9000 please visit wwww.sentry9000.com. To set up a meeting or free demo for please call 1-800-519-7657 or email information@sentry9000.com.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
“Green” Food Safety Technology that the Food Service Industry can sink its teeth into - Digital HACCP Documentation and Web-based Data Management.
Sentry9000 is revolutionizing how School Cafeterias address Food Safety with improved and enhanced procedures with digital data to replace the stack of paper forms. Sentry9000 has digitized all of the necessary food safety forms based on Standard Operating Procedures, the USDA, and The NFSMI Guidelines into a handheld computer. The hand-held PDA records real-time data and wirelessly transmits critical information to a customized website for easy viewing and monitoring on the Internet.
So, what does this mean? NO more HACCP Paperwork!! Imagine the impact that will have on offices and the environment. There are forms for cooking temperatures, cold food temperatures, vendor receiving, food safety checklists, equipment temperatures, equipment inventory, production reports, leftover handling, and the list goes on and on. Sentry9000 has developed the software to replace every necessary form with a digital form on a hand-held computer. The forms are then viewable from a website that is generated for each specific school district.
Eliminating the paperwork has a snowball effect in the handling and organizing data. Paper forms have to be stored in binders, clipboards, or filing cabinets. With the paperwork gone, there are no more binders, clipboards, or filing cabinets. Access to the information is only a touch away with the keyboard on a computer. So, wherever there is internet, there is access to the cafeteria’s data.
Digitizing information is a concept that is utilized in almost every aspect of daily life. Paper has become an archaic system for recording and organizing data. Computers and Internet have transformed the management of information.
The downsides of paper documentation:
Cost of Paper
Purchase time and inventory of paper
Time to create paper forms
Time and space to store paper forms
Time for employee to fill out paperwork
Time to review employee data of paperwork
No way to track accuracy of data
Time to locate a form to respond to possible food borne illness or regulatory inquiry.
Missing papers or information needed.
Throwing out paperwork once it is out of date.
Environmental impact of paper waste.
Sentry9000 not only provides a means to do away with all the paperwork, but also provides a HACCP and food safety tool that is also a kitchen management tool. Sentry9000 is your complete, automated wireless HACCP Documentation, Kitchen and Food Safety Management System.
Sentry9000, a leader in Food Safety Management is proud to announce that its environmentally friendly Bluetooth Temperature Probe, Hand-held PDA, and Web-based Data Management System will be showcased at the 2009 Region 1 Food Service Product Show on October 15th in South Padre, Texas.
For more information on Sentry9000 please visit wwww.sentry9000.com. To set up a meeting or free demo for your school please call 1-800-519-7657 or email information@sentry9000.com.
So, what does this mean? NO more HACCP Paperwork!! Imagine the impact that will have on offices and the environment. There are forms for cooking temperatures, cold food temperatures, vendor receiving, food safety checklists, equipment temperatures, equipment inventory, production reports, leftover handling, and the list goes on and on. Sentry9000 has developed the software to replace every necessary form with a digital form on a hand-held computer. The forms are then viewable from a website that is generated for each specific school district.
Eliminating the paperwork has a snowball effect in the handling and organizing data. Paper forms have to be stored in binders, clipboards, or filing cabinets. With the paperwork gone, there are no more binders, clipboards, or filing cabinets. Access to the information is only a touch away with the keyboard on a computer. So, wherever there is internet, there is access to the cafeteria’s data.
Digitizing information is a concept that is utilized in almost every aspect of daily life. Paper has become an archaic system for recording and organizing data. Computers and Internet have transformed the management of information.
The downsides of paper documentation:
Cost of Paper
Purchase time and inventory of paper
Time to create paper forms
Time and space to store paper forms
Time for employee to fill out paperwork
Time to review employee data of paperwork
No way to track accuracy of data
Time to locate a form to respond to possible food borne illness or regulatory inquiry.
Missing papers or information needed.
Throwing out paperwork once it is out of date.
Environmental impact of paper waste.
Sentry9000 not only provides a means to do away with all the paperwork, but also provides a HACCP and food safety tool that is also a kitchen management tool. Sentry9000 is your complete, automated wireless HACCP Documentation, Kitchen and Food Safety Management System.
Sentry9000, a leader in Food Safety Management is proud to announce that its environmentally friendly Bluetooth Temperature Probe, Hand-held PDA, and Web-based Data Management System will be showcased at the 2009 Region 1 Food Service Product Show on October 15th in South Padre, Texas.
For more information on Sentry9000 please visit wwww.sentry9000.com. To set up a meeting or free demo for your school please call 1-800-519-7657 or email information@sentry9000.com.
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