February 8, 1999 - FSIS OKs Time-Temperature Tags

by Bryan Salvage

Time-temperature integrator tags are being recommended for ground beef processing in new guidelines from the Food Safety Inspection Service, according to Belmont, N.C.-based Cox Technologies. The tags may ensure that ground beef processed and sold in the United States is free of E. coli O157:H7, the company said.

Cox further reports that the newest revisions to the federal guidelines resulted partially because of numerous beef-product recalls during 1998. The language of the new FSIS guidelines, which were published in the Jan. 19 Federal Register, reads "... the current food production and distribution system is complex, often involving lengthy distances, multiple distribution points and numerous handlers. The guidance recommends the use of tamper-proof time-temperature indicators on boxes of finished products to disclose temperature abuse."

Cox Technologies, a supplier of time-temperature solutions for monitoring the quality and safety of perishable foods, recently began manufacturing and marketing its new Vitsab tags. The company states that these tags work on a biochemical principle, and have four advantages:

* They can be started at room temperature.
* They are adaptable to any food type.
* They are not susceptible to false positives.
* They are individually programmable and can be used with a bar code for supermarket monitoring.

Vitsab tags are adhesive-backed time-temperature tags that indicate any departure from "safe" temperature ranges and can be used for meat, poultry, seafood, produce, live plants, as well as other temperature-sensitive commodities.

This article reprinted with permission from Meat Marketing & Technology.

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