kitchen safety in gas supply shortage

As the National Grid warns British households that they could lose power for up to three hours at a time this winter if gas supplies run extremely low, Garden Centre Catering brings you this reaction from Jason Webb, managing director of Electronic Temperature Instruments (ETI).

Mr Webb comments: “Businesses and households must remain vigilant when it comes to frozen and refrigerated food items or risk facing a food waste and food safety catastrophe should regular blackouts occur.

"If freezers and fridges are without power, the food risks spoiling. In this respect, education is key to enable businesses to become savvier with their produce, both from a storage and temperature perspective. 

"The UK already produces the highest amount of food waste in Europe, throwing away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in a single year. This is despite 8.4 million people living in food poverty. Bread, for example, is one of the top five items most commonly wasted. Yet this should be stored in a cupboard.

"If you put it in a fridge, it will stale much faster, since cooler temperatures cause starch to crystallize. This process occurs roughly six times faster at refrigerator temperatures than at room temperature. 

"From a commercial point of view, there are refrigeration data loggers on the market which are not linked to WIFI, so businesses can still see if walk-in fridges have stayed within the correct temperatures, regardless of whether there’s been a power-cut or not. Small steps can make a huge difference, particularly during this unpredictable period.”