Case Study - Advanced Temperature Monitoring & Control at Hill Country Bakery

Patti Engineering, Inc., a leader in control systems integration, has announced details of a project it completed for Hill Country Bakery that involved implementing a state-of-the-art temperature monitoring and control system. The project resulted in improved food quality and safety assurance with automated real-time data collection, central database for report generation, and the ability to monitor and receive alarm notifications via mobile devices.

Production processes and monitoring is a major part of ensuring product quality at Hill Country Bakery. The company’s longstanding history of producing the highest quality baked goods has earned the company its Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 2 Certification. Hill Country Bakery’s 55,000 square foot cold storage distribution center located in San Antonio, Texas stores ingredients and finished goods. Temperatures need to be monitored and kept within a narrow range to ensure product quality and safety.

Hill Country Bakery was not satisfied with its aging temperature monitoring system. The continual degradation of the old monitoring system caused gaps in collecting data with no tracking of corrective actions in the event a temperature issue was found.

Patti Engineering was hired by the bakery to assist with engineering, design and implementation of a more advanced and automated temperature monitoring system. Using wireless temperature sensors and developing a central control and monitoring system were paramount to meet Hill Country Bakery’s goals. Patti Engineering developed an application using InduSoft’s Web Studio software platform that monitors the temperature zones, sends alarms via email, can be monitored via mobile devices, and can produce reports on demand for a specified periods of time.

“We approached Patti Engineering with our desires for a reliable system, as well as, a system to resolve some of the issues we had seen with the antiquated system. Their solution was a cost effective, reliable, wireless solution that would address all of our needs and satisfy the requirements for SQF,” explained Nick Rendon, Maintenance Manager for Hill Country Bakery. “They worked expeditiously to successfully deliver our system in time for audit. Due to their great prompt delivery of a solution, ingenuity and reliable service, I will continue to call on Patti Engineering when a need arises.”

Many suppliers, retailers and processors are looking to modernize and automate temperature monitoring and data collection programs to meet Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations. Beyond FSMA, companies pursuing Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certification are required to establish a Hazardous Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety plan which is benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Patti Engineering, a certified member of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), has the experience and expertise to help companies in the food industry meet critical monitoring and control requirements.

Source: Patti Engineering, Inc.