Falcarragh, Co. Donegal, 29 April 2024 – Kelsius, a leading manufacturer and global provider of wireless temperature monitoring and digital Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, has announced a €5 million plan to expand its manufacturing and R&D facility. This is in response to a significant increase in global demand for Kelsius solutions which has driven significant employment growth in the company and has now resulted in a workforce that has outgrown the current facility.

Kelsius processes over 80 terabytes of data each year to support the growing demands of customers who require a secure and reliable digital temperature monitoring system. It manages billions of customer records, providing customers with a safe and secure environment for their data which they can easily access for reports and audits.

The expansion plan will allow the company to continue to serve current customers with the highest levels of support and to welcome new customers who are looking for a cost-effective digital solution that provides the most advanced technology and excellent customer service.

Kelsius’ growth plans include:

• Facility expansion: As Kelsius’ customer base grows and new functionality is delivered to existing customers, this expansion will accommodate increased production requirements.
• Next-generation product development: The project will enable a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. With software development and manufacturing co-located, the new facility will allow for a more streamlined, efficient and collaborative environment.
• Global Expansion: As the demand for Kelsius’ wireless temperature monitoring and digital HACCP systems continues to grow worldwide, the expansion positions Kelsius to meet the needs of an ever-growing customer base.
• Sustainability: Kelsius has been rated amongst the top 25% of companies assessed by EcoVadis, a global and trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. The expanded facility will be built to a B2 building energy rating (BER) standard which allows Kelsius to maximise energy efficiencies and reduce its carbon emissions.

Increasing demand for temperature monitoring and HACCP solutions

Commenting on the expansion, Kelsius CEO Karl Simmons said, “Because the Kelsius system is so easy to install and use, we’re experiencing an ever-increasing demand for our advanced temperature monitoring and HACCP solutions. This is a testament to the quality and innovation that Kelsius brings to the food and life sciences sectors. From single-site to larger multisite operations, clients use our system as a time-saving and cost-effective way to protect food, medicines and laboratory stocks. Our expansion plans will allow us to build on this demand as we continue to provide our excellent service to existing customers and to welcome new clients globally.

“We continue to work closely with Údarás na Gaeltachta who have been extremely supportive to Kelsius over the years and again now in helping us to make this expansion project happen. I want to thank them for their continued assistance in driving our growth plans.”

Today Kelsius exports its products and services to 47 countries. It monitors temperatures for customers on every continent, enabled by tens of thousands of devices distributed at customer sites, including wireless sensors and probes and centralised network controllers. This is done on a 24/7 basis for businesses in the food and healthcare sectors, protecting food products and protecting medicines in hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories and blood science facilities.

About Kelsius: Kelsius is a leading manufacturer of wireless temperature monitoring systems and digital HACCP solutions. The company has a commitment to innovation and driving safety in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. Kelsius empowers businesses across the globe to ensure the integrity and safety of their operations as it delivers on its mission to make the world a safer place for consumers of food and medicine. Kelsius currently employs 92 people. Current Kelsius customers include Tesco, Sodexo, Aramark, NHS, Roche Diagnostics, Abbott, Baxter, Musgrave and BWG. Kelsius is backed by the Quinn family (ex Superquinn) and WDC Western Development Commission. For more information visit www.kelsius.com.

Kelsius Fact Sheet:

• Kelsius processes and safely stores over 80 terabytes of data each year to support its customers and the data they rely on for their temperature monitoring and HACCP processes.
• In the past 10 years alone, Kelsius has managed over 70 billion customer records.
• The company processes over 100 billion database queries each year.
• Kelsius has 77,800 monitoring devices deployed around the world, recording business-critical data that protects sensitive pharmaceutical, medical and blood products, as well as food products and ingredients. Reliable data management is essential for companies operating in the food and life sciences sectors, which are highly regulated and audited frequently.
• The type of records that are safely and securely stored by Kelsius on behalf of its customers include temperature recordings, humidity recordings, user profiles and activity, live and historical data, alerts, and product data such as delivery information and batch codes.
• Kelsius processes and stores data in the EU and is GDPR compliant. Data is retained for 30+ years and strict access controls include multi-factor authentication, roles and permissions.
• Kelsius not only provides customers with the most reliable and robust systems that will protect their data to the highest standards, but it also makes data user-friendly and easy to access. This allows for ease of reporting for management whether on-site or remotely, and for quick and easy access during audits and inspections where data is required based on locations, products, dates, or other selected filters.

Downloads:

• Karl Simmons, CEO Kelsius: Download
• Eamonn Quinn, Chairman Kelsius: Download
• Architectural drawings of new Kelsius building in Falcarragh, Co Donegal including expanded manufacturing facility: Download

 

The last number of years have seen a series of increasing costs for all small and medium sized businesses in the UK and Ireland and many economic factors continue to cause challenges particularly for the hospitality and catering industry. While some are easing into 2024, others remain of concern. So what are the factors that the industry will need to consider as businesses get ready for their busy seasons in 2024? Whether the business is looking to diversify, grow, invest, or simply maintain the status quo, here we look at the factors that will have the biggest impacts.

 

Cost of Labour: Cost of labour recurs as one of the most significant costs in hospitality. This will increase in 2024 and in foreseeable years, as workers in the UK will see wage increases depending on their age from 01 April. From this date, workers aged 21 and over will be entitled to the National Living Wage of £11.44 per hour. This is a rise of £1.26 per hour for those aged 21-22, and a rise of £1.02 for those aged over 23. Those aged under 18 and aged 18 to 20 will also see rises in their minimum hourly rates to £6.40 and £8.60 an hour respectively. Those employing apprentices at the current £5.28 rates will also be affected, with apprentices’ hourly rates rising to £6.40 per hour.

Similarly in Ireland, the National Living Wage increased on 1 January 2024. The national minimum hourly rate becomes €12.70. This rate applies to employees aged 20 years and above. Sub-minimum hourly rates apply to employees aged under 20. These rates are €11.43 for those aged 19, €10.16 for 18-year-olds, and €8.89 if aged under 18.

Sick Leave: As part of a 4-year plan, the Irish government is gradually increasing employer-paid sick leave which will rise to 10 days in 2026. As part of this plan, the entitlement to paid sick leave recently increased from 3 to 5 days for employees. While this measure aims to provide protection and certainty to employees who are unable to work due to illness or injury, the government recognises that the overall cost of doing business is of concern particularly for small businesses. As part of targeted measures to support businesses, the increased Cost of Business Scheme announced in Budget 2024 provides direct financial support to small businesses directly impacted by increased costs. The scheme includes a once-off grant which will benefit up to 130,000 small and medium businesses from a fund of €250m.

In the UK, employers without a company sick pay scheme should pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) to eligible employees. This is £109.40 per week and paid by the employer for up to 28 weeks.

Energy costs and geopolitical factors: Businesses and households alike were hit by soaring energy prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In the UK the Energy Bills Discount Scheme runs until March 2024. However this has been most beneficial to heavy energy-using sectors, particularly manufacturing. In addition, recent research has suggested that over half of SMEs were unaware of the financial support it provides and therefore have not availed of potential savings.

Across Europe, while many predict energy prices may drop in 2024, they are unlikely to fall to pre-invasion levels.

Events affecting shipping in the Red Sea and recent drought in the Panama Canal have the potential to affect the price of global raw materials and cereals, as rerouting options mean more time and cost. These have not materialised into significant additional costs for businesses at the end of distribution chains as yet, but it remains to be seen if this happens should these events continue long term.

Inflation: Inflation in the UK stalled at 4% in January, having fallen significantly during 2023. While this is some good news for the hospitality sector in that this is a long way from the 10.4% rate just a year ago, it may not stay at this rate. Many analysts believe it may well hit the Bank of England’s 2% target later this year but that may not last if as expected, energy prices continue to fluctuate.

Similarly in Ireland, the inflation rate is currently 4.1%. this is a drop of 0.5% on the previous month. Hospitality however had one of the most significant price growths in the 12 months to January. This is no surprise as multiple factors are contributing to the challenge of doing business in this sector. According to the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), this includes low margins, rising costs and the housing crisis. Among costs, the RAI points to increasing PRSI rates which will increase by 0.1% in October, and the VAT rate which returned to 13.5% last September.

Looking for ways to reduce costs in your hospitality or catering business? Find out more here.

According to the UK Food Security Report 2021 (chapter, Food Safety and Consumer Confidence), most consumers in the UK trust the food they buy and eat to be safe and accurately labelled. Indeed, the level of food business compliance with food safety regulations remains generally high.

Reports of food safety incidents have increased since 2010. Although this is largely due to better detection rates and reporting, it does highlight the need for food practitioners to constantly be aware that incidents of food poisoning, outbreaks and allergic reactions are always a real risk. With this in mind, restauranteurs and caterers should make it their business to regularly update themselves and their teams on the importance of temperature monitoring for food and how bad practices can affect their customers and their business.

Implications of poor food safety

Poor food safety practices can damage your business reputation and brand. If your food is contaminated due to poor food safety practices, you will have to:

• withdraw contaminated food products,
• stop individuals from consuming them, and
• your business will potentially suffer from reputational damage.

Damage to your reputation, even when repaired, can create a dent in the perceived credibility of your business. By following proper food safety practices, you can help prevent reputational risk and protect yourself against potential litigation, bad social media reviews, and more.

Temperature control

Maintaining the correct temperature of food is crucial for ensuring food safety. Food that is not stored or cooked at the right temperature can lead to the growth of harmful bacteria, which can cause foodborne illnesses. This can be particularly dangerous for new businesses if they do not have staff with the experience or knowledge to implement proper food safety practices.

According to the Food Standards Agency of the UK, it is important to use a calibrated probe thermometer to check and monitor the temperature of food as part of your food safety HACCP management system.

Remember to ensure that temperatures measured are also recorded. To simplify the process, use a digital temperature monitoring system that allows you to take temperature readings across multiple locations if necessary, and which also allows you to record data and retrieve reports whenever these are required for audits and inspections.

 Keeping records

How many times have you tried to retrieve information of any kind, only to find that the information you need can’t be found? Maybe it was filed incorrectly, maybe it was deleted in error, or maybe the ‘correct’ file was incomplete or contained bad data. Keeping accurate, reliable and accessible records is critical in a highly regulated food safety environment.

Reduce the risks of manual processes by using a digital HACCP system that can provide your HACCP records automatically. As well as providing real-time reporting, a digital system provides data analysis and insights that can highlight trends at sites, allowing you to make data-driven decisions to help improve the business.

Securing your data

Finally, remember to always ensure that your data, particularly data kept digitally, is secure. Losing your data or being a victim of a cyber attack not only inconveniences your business, but risks losing data that you need for EHO inspections and audits. Whatever the food safety system you employ, make sure it gives you the flexibility to assign roles and permissions only to staff members as required. Opt for a system that has been developed for GDPR compliance, with vulnerability management and threat modelling incorporated into its security testing. Any system should also includes controls such as multi-factor authentication.

Food safety in always the number one priority in the hospitality industry. Poor food safety practices can risk your customers’ health and damage your business reputation and brand. Use digital technologies to improve food safety processes and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. By adopting best practices both in food safety and your digital technology, you can help protect your customers, your business, and your brand.

For more on digital HACCP for hospitality, contact Kelsius.

Thinking of opening a food business? Make sure you’re HACCP compliant to protect your clients and your reputation right from the start.

What is HACCP?

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a systematic approach to identifying, evaluating, and controlling food safety hazards. As a food service owner it’s vital to understand HACCP principles and implement the required regulations across business operations constantly and consistently. This includes conducting a hazard analysis, establishing critical control points, setting critical limits, implementing monitoring procedures, and maintaining proper record-keeping. By adhering to HACCP guidelines, you can proactively prevent and address potential risks in your food business processes; protecting you, your reputation and your customers’ well-being.

Local compliance

Regardless of the scale of your business or your market location, you must ensure that you comply with all local food safety regulations. While there are universal standards and guidelines, contact the food safety regulator for your market for information and advice on the regulations regarding food handling, food storage, hygiene practices and labelling. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the agency responsible for the system that regulate food businesses in the UK. In Ireland the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) provides new businesses with a comprehensive range of information on how to achieve good hygiene standards and how to comply with the law.

Make food safety your number one priority

The best way to ensure consistent adherence to food safety regulations is to instil among staff from the start that food safety is their number one priority at every stage of the food supply and delivery process. Management and staff responsible for the business’s HACCP system must undertake adequate training in the application of HACCP principles. All food handlers must be instructed on food safety and hygiene and should be trained based on the level of activity they are involved in. Companies such as Kelsius can help in the delivery of food safety training for your staff.

Set the standard

Consistency is key when it comes to food safety management. Processes that can help you adhere to the regulations include standardising your products, developing comprehensive and easy-to-understand processes, applying consistent quality control measures, and always using reliable suppliers who you can trust to provide quality ingredients and products. This makes it easier for you to implement a robust traceability system should you need to quickly identify and recall any potentially contaminated products.

Protecting your brand

Successful food businesses are as much about the service provided as they are about the food, and good service leads to a trusted brand that customers will come back for again and again.

Use technology to help you save time and money on meeting food safety regulations – time and money that you can redirect to providing a high level of customer service and developing a product range that your customers will love. Get the balance right for your customers, your reputation and your business, and you’ll have the right ingredients for long-term success.

Want to learn more? Click here to find out about FoodCheck 2.0 from Kelsius – a digital HACCP system that provides wireless temperature monitoring, traceability, checklists and more for food businesses large and small.

Falcarragh, Co. Donegal, 9 May 2023 – Irish technology company Kelsius, based in Falcarragh, Co Donegal has signed a contract with Tesco Ireland to help the retailer ensure efficiencies across some of its cold storage.

Kelsius’ wireless temperature monitoring systems monitor the temperature of standalone fridges, freezers 24 hours a day. This allows Tesco to ensure that it only provides the finest quality foods to its customers by ensuring that fridges and freezers are maintained at the correct temperature.

The Kelsius system alerts the retailer to any temperature excursions, thus eliminating food waste that can occur due to fridge or freezer failure.

The agreement between Kelsius and Tesco will see the technology introduced across 112 Tesco stores.

Tesco has led the way amongst retailers in Ireland, in eliminating food waste and driving sustainable retailing. Kelsius’ technology ensures that no food is wasted and eliminates CO2 emissions from that waste.

Kelsius employs 82 people and manufactures specialist temperature monitoring equipment and software and provides global customer support from Falcarragh.

Kelsius CEO Karl Simmons said, “Our collaboration with Tesco is an excellent fit for the Kelsius system. An operation of Tesco’s size requires a robust, scalable, user-friendly system that suits the needs of the business, and Kelsius provides this. Kelsius’ environmental values are also aligned with those of Tesco. We are delighted that we can help Tesco achieve its food waste reduction target. We congratulate Tesco on their achievements in this regard to date, and we look forward to continuing to work with them.”

Commenting on the partnership, Tesco Central Compliance Manager John Byrne said, “The Kelsius system provides Tesco not only with the peace of mind to have constant and reliable temperature monitoring, but also with the ability to ensure food quality and further reduce food waste. We are delighted to partner with them in using their technology and in a way which helps us to play our part in the community and for the benefit of our customers and the environment.”

About Kelsius     

Kelsius is the leading supplier of automation technology for product safety and compliance to the food services and healthcare industries. Using its world-class wireless sensor technology and cloud-based data hosting and processing, Kelsius systems improve product safety, ensure regulatory compliance and optimise costs associated with these activities. Founded in 2003, Kelsius has offices in Ireland and the United Kingdom with a network of partners in Europe, Middle East, Australia and the USA that serve its global customer base. Visit www.kelsius.com