The last thing any foodservice operator wants is to be highlighted in the news due to customer illness—especially during a pandemic.

Despite assurance by the Center for Disease Control that there is no evidence that the spread of COVID-19 is associated with handling food or from food packaging, people still worry. That said, previously established food safety practices, paired with added COVID-19 protocols, should reassure store employees and customers alike that they are protected.

Improved foodservice technology can also go a long way toward safeguarding the wellbeing of employees and the public and can ease operator concerns.

For many food operations, the answer is to invest in kitchen automation. There are now a number of systems available that help streamline the many tasks that come with operating all types of kitchens, resulting in increased productivity, better protection for employees and safer food operations. DayMark’s MenuCommand® kitchen automation platform, for example, offers more than the food safety labeling ability it has come to be known for—it also provides applications for task management, receiving and temperature monitoring.

Prioritization is key

Automation allows operators to document the progress of ongoing operations in both the front- and back-of-house quickly and efficiently with a variety of tools, including task management, flexible scheduling and recording of daily health details, such as temperature measurement.

For instance, many directors are employing this technology to streamline the receiving process. The ability to create custom, item-specific non-conformances that identify and document orders that are short, out-of-spec, or otherwise incorrect is a major benefit, as is functionality that allows expected shipment statuses to be adjusted and keep open deliveries on hold based on delays or other incomplete information.

The Task Management and Receiving Module apps ensure that proper procedures in these areas—including proper cleaning as part of the aforementioned COVID-19 protocols—are being followed while also integrating with the MenuCommand platform.

Watch temperatures

At the top of the food safety checklist is regular food temperature checks.

In the past, monitoring temperatures was tedious and sometimes ineffective, as staff members manually checked and recorded temperatures in a handwritten log. However, digital temperature monitoring systems are eliminating the need for staff to manually check temperatures.

Operators should look for systems that are reliable, HACCP-compliant, accurate and easy to use—all of which lead to savings on time and money by eliminating the need for manual food check monitoring, hand-recorded logs and paper audits.

At least one of these systems, DayMark’s Temp Monitoring and Food Checks Solution, powered by JRI and featuring the powerful LoRa technology, produces longer-range, disruption-free communication between devices and is perfect for stores with a large footprint. Its low-frequency signal allows devices to transmit information though heavy materials such as stainless-steel freezers.

Choosing the right automation system can help foodservice operators simplify their operations while remaining focused on food safety and health standards.

Article originally appeared on the FSD website.