According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency (USDA), food waste in the United States is estimated between 30-40 percent of the food supply. When it comes to reduction of restaurant industry food waste, the USDA has taken recent action and announced the first ever domestic goal to cut food loss and waste in half by 2030. These efforts are already impacting the food service industry and will only continue to do so, but restaurateurs who want to play a part in this critical effort can do so by exploring any and all options from streamlining their waste disposal to automating food storage temperature.
Restaurant operators have many responsibilities to ensure safe conditions are maintained for both workers and patrons. In addition to food preparations, there is also the need for proper, sanitary disposal of foods and cooking greases that must be handled. These include the oils, fats, and grease that are leftover after serving. Whether cooks are frying, sautéing or even roasting, there is always some amount of grease leftover. It could be in the form frying oil, chicken fat, meat fat, coconut oil, bacon grease, butter or other fats.
The process of recycling and removing grease and waste oil has evolved over the years. In the past, the draining and removal of gallons upon gallons of oil happened by the bucket and bin full. Most restaurant owners would pay for the delivery of new oil and removal of waste.
Restaurants have a responsibility to maintain a clean and safe environment for customers and employees, while also ensuring that the kitchen grease trap is in prime condition and the facility’s disposal of cooking oil is in full compliance. Most cities enforce strict disposal codes designed to keep used cooking oil and other toxic materials out of the sewer and storm water systems.
Therefore, it is vital that restaurants focus on appropriate disposal system and at the same time make efforts to reduce and reuse the amount of oils and fats used in cooking. Because we all know it well that prevention is better than cure.
Enter level sensors and float switches. Float switches can find application in the tanks and storage bins. They help make the process of retrieving and disposing of waste oil a smoother and more effective one for restaurants.
Modern fryers offer the safest option for grease and oil removal because they can be directly hooked up to a pump system that removes hot, old grease from a fryer without any interaction or handling by a human worker. This reduces accidents and helps kitchens to run smoothly. A level sensor can alert restaurant staff when a storage tank is full and needs to be changed or picked up by the oil recycling company and can prevent overflow.
In manual oil waste removal process systems, temperature sensors can also be added so workers responsible for the removal know that temperatures are safe for moving the liquid out. Temperature sensors work with extreme precision by gauging electrical resistance relative to the temperature of the surrounding fluids.
HSI Sensing is in the business of developing and installing easy-to-implement and cost-effective sensors that can proactively monitor critical equipment in any size restaurant or commercial kitchen. Our sensors are very discrete and can be integrated in such a way that they can be hidden from view entirely.
HSI Sensing’s superior sensors meet very specific electrical specifications, and activate and release distances while ensuring a premium final product, partnered with unmatched technical support.
To find out how to begin integrating sensors into your commercial kitchen locations, or even the appliances themselves, contact the team at HSI Sensing to learn more.
