Navigating Food Safety Compliance in UK Retail: Challenges and Solutions

Ensuring food safety is a paramount concern for UK food retailers, as it directly impacts consumer health, brand reputation, and regulatory compliance. Navigating the complexities of food safety regulations can be challenging, but with the right tools and systems, retailers can maintain high standards and streamline their operations.

 

Understanding UK Food Safety Regulations 

The UK enforces stringent food safety laws to protect consumers and uphold food quality. Key legislation includes the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, which mandate that businesses ensure food is safe for consumption and meet hygiene standards.  

Retailers are required to implement effective food safety management systems, conduct regular hazard analyses, and maintain detailed records of their processes. Non-compliance can result in severe penalties, including fines, legal action, and damage to brand reputation. 

 

Common Challenges Faced by UK Retailers 
  1. Regulatory Compliance: Keeping abreast of evolving food safety regulations demands continuous monitoring and adaptation. 
  2. Record Keeping: Maintaining accurate and accessible records is essential but can be labour-intensive and prone to human error. 
  3. Supply Chain Management: Ensuring that all suppliers adhere to food safety standards requires diligent oversight and coordination. 
  4. Staff Training: Regular training is necessary to keep staff informed about best practices and regulatory changes, which can be resource intensive. 
  5. Labour Shortages: Retail particularly continues to face the challenge of labour shortages caused in varying degrees by the effects of the pandemic, Brexit and the availability of a flow of a suitable workforce.  
  6. Rising costs: The cost of doing business is significant for UK food retailers who need to consider the price of stock, energy, labour, regulatory compliance, local services and business rates. All while at the same time consumer behaviour continues to shift towards price-driven purchase decisions.  

 

How a Digital HACCP System can Help 

Kelsius offers innovative digital solutions designed to assist UK retailers in overcoming these challenges: 

  • FoodCheck 2.0: This system automates temperature monitoring and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) management, reducing reliance on manual checks and paperwork. It provides real-time data and alerts, ensuring swift responses to potential issues. 
  • CoolCheck: Specialising in wireless temperature monitoring, CoolCheck ensures that all refrigeration units operate within safe parameters, preventing spoilage and ensuring compliance with food safety standards.

Benefits of Implementing Kelsius Systems 

  • Enhanced Compliance: Automated monitoring and record-keeping simplify adherence to regulations and facilitate smoother audits. 
  • Operational Efficiency: Reducing manual tasks allows staff to focus on core business activities, improving overall productivity. 
  • Data-Driven Insights: Access to comprehensive data enables informed decision-making and proactive management of food safety risks. 


Conclusion 

In the dynamic landscape of UK retail, maintaining rigorous food safety standards is both a regulatory requirement and a competitive advantage. Kelsius provides the tools necessary to streamline compliance, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure the highest levels of food safety. 

For more information on how Kelsius can support your business, visit www.kelsius.com. 

 

The Net Zero Drive & Fish and Chips: How Kelsius Is Helping the Industry Go Greener

Fish & Chips Meets Net Zero: A Deep-Fried Dilemma?

Fish and chips is more than a national treasure in the UK and Ireland—it’s a £1.2 billion industry. But as the world races towards Net Zero carbon emissions, this much-loved takeaway staple is under pressure to clean up its act.

From energy-guzzling fryers to high food waste, the carbon footprint of fish and chips is far from sustainable. The good news? Technology is catching up—and companies like Kelsius are stepping in to help.

 

What Is Net Zero, and Why Does It Matter?

“Net Zero” means balancing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted with the amount removed from the atmosphere. The UK government has legally committed to reaching Net Zero by 2050.

For foodservice businesses, this means:

  • Cutting down on energy use
  • Reducing food waste
  • Rethinking packaging
  • Improving supply chain transparency

That’s where the fish and chips industry comes in—an industry that relies on deep fryers, refrigeration, and fast-moving stock.

 

The Environmental Cost of Fish and Chips

While fish and chips might seem harmless, every plate carries a carbon load. Here’s a quick look:

The biggest culprits? Poor temperature management, energy-inefficient equipment, and lack of digital tracking—leading to spoiled stock and wasted energy.

 

Kelsius: A Smart, Sustainable Solution

Kelsius is helping fish and chip shops across the UK and Ireland step into the Net Zero era with smart Digital HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and temperature monitoring systems.

Here’s how Kelsius is making a difference:

  1. Reducing Energy Waste

By using automated temperature monitoring, shops can:

  • Avoid overcooling or overheating fridges/freezers
  • Get real-time alerts when temperatures drift
  • Save electricity by operating within optimal zones

This reduces both energy bills and carbon footprint.

  1. Cutting Food Waste

Spoiled stock is a massive issue. Kelsius helps prevent it by:

  • Automating temp logs, removing human error
  • Ensuring compliance with food safety standards
  • Preventing stock loss from unnoticed fridge failures

That means less waste—and less emissions from food going to landfill.

  1. Improving Compliance with Net Zero Goals

Food safety and sustainability go hand-in-hand. With Kelsius:

  • Businesses meet EHO standards digitally
  • Staff spend less time on manual checks
  • Reporting for sustainability audits is easy and paperless

 

Why This Matters for the Fish and Chips Industry

As consumer demand for sustainability grows, people want more than great taste—they want eco-conscious food choices.

Fish and chip shops that adopt smart tech like Kelsius:

  • Improve their brand reputation
  • Appeal to eco-aware customers
  • Save money and future-proof their business

 

Steps Fish & Chip Shops Can Take Today

Ready to lower your carbon footprint? Here’s a Net Zero action list:

✅ Install digital temperature monitoring
✅ Use energy-efficient fryers and LED lighting
✅ Choose locally sourced, MSC-certified fish
✅ Switch to biodegradable or recyclable packaging
✅ Train staff in sustainability best practices
✅ Monitor food waste and adjust ordering habits

Kelsius Digital HACCP and wireless temperature monitoring exceeds expectations for Hastings Hotels

The Culloden Estate And Spa Exterior

On average, each property saves three hours per day for all food staff

 

Hastings Hotels is a luxury hotel group operating six hotels and a stand-alone Gastro Pub, Cultra Inn, situated on the Culloden Estate in Northern Ireland, serving a wide range of prepared and fresh food to its customers. These seven properties offer guests an impressive choice of venues, catering across leisure, events, sporting pursuits and gourmet dining.

 

 

Challenges Faced by Management and Chefs

Hastings Hotels faced the challenge of managing food safety and HACCP records across multiple locations. Larger properties like the Grand Central and Europa Hotels have different areas for multiple kitchens, bars, delis and large catering spaces, all requiring up to date records to be kept.

Management had little oversight of all food safety records, with a paper process that was prone to errors, and too much time was spent on recording data rather than providing the best guest experience.

Chefs spent too much time reviewing paper records and manually recoding temperatures across different kitchens and floors. Stock was being lost due to no notifications of faulty appliances, and there was little traceability for food.

 

Introducing the Kelsius System

The Kelsius FoodCheck 2.0 system was introduced into operations at Hastings Hotels. With the system now in use in their properties, management has more confidence and peace of mind as audits and inspections are easier. Reporting is streamlined and it’s much easier to train any agency staff who are required ad hoc.

Digital traceability means better transparency and accountability, with no risk of falsification or mistakes due to human error. Automated alerts have hugely reduced the risk of food waste due to temperature excursions, improving the shelf life of products.

 

Benefits

  • Three hours saved per day on average per property by all food staff
  • Estimated £2000 per year per property saved on wasted food
  • Four hours per week saved by management using automated report
  • Paper, ink and folders used reduce to zero
  • Food safety training time reduced by half
  • 90% estimated reduction in mistakes caused by human error

 

 

Raymond Duncan Compliance, Operations & Procurement Manager, Hastings Group:

“Using the Kelsius system, I have peace of mind knowing all food safety processes are being adhered to. The automated system minimises human error and it’s so much easier for management to remotely identify trends or gaps in any hotel and act in real time. Our EHO loves the system as it gives them full visibility of our processes, in turn they are more confident in us to maintain outstanding food safety for our guests. We’re delighted with the system.”

 

 

Kelsius becomes Associate Member of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF)

Kelsius is delighted to announce that it has become an Associate Member of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF).

Established in 1913, the NFFF is the official body that represents the fish and chip industry, protecting the interests of fish friers and their businesses and promoting the fish and chip brand.

As an Associate Member, Kelsius will be able to provide NFFF members with digital HACCP and wireless temperature monitoring via its FoodCheck 2.0 automated food safety system.

FoodCheck 2.0 allows businesses in the fish and chip industry to save time and cost by replacing manual food safety tasks with automated temperature monitoring, thereby reducing the risks associated with manual checks and allowing staff to spend more time on serving customers.

The Kelsius Oil Tester app ensures oil quality while extending the life of cooking oil to reduce costs. For every food business, cooking oil now represents a significant cost that needs to be managed effectively, while at the same time ensuring a consistently safe standard of cooking oil quality.


The Kelsius Oil Tester app captures cooking oil data, accessible from any web-enabled device:

  • Cut cooking oil costs by up to 35% while ensuring you serve only the best quality food by maintaining your oil in its best condition.
  • Reduce cooking oil costs by extending the life of the oil while maintaining oil quality.
  • Eliminate unnecessary oil changes and reduce your operating costs.
  • Reduce your CO₂ emissions by eliminating unnecessary oil collection and oil disposal.

With the digital Kelsius Oil Tester app, NFFF members and all businesses in the fish and chip industry can operate more efficiently, eliminate paperwork, have easy access to waste disposal records, and have a simple solution for storing waste disposal documents.

Contact Kelsius to learn more.

 

 

Kelsius sponsors the Craft Guild Culinary Team as it prepares for the Culinary World Cup 2026


Already a winner, Team GB will compete using the Kelsius Digital HACCP system, FoodCheck 2.0

Kelsius, a leader in digital HACCP and wireless temperature monitoring solutions for the food industry, is delighted to announce its sponsorship of the Craft Guild Culinary Team as it prepares for the Culinary World Cup 2026.

The Craft Guild Culinary Team is an elite group of chefs who work together to compete in culinary competitions at the very highest level in the UK and beyond. The team took part in the recent 2024 Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart where they excelled, taking home seven medals including five gold, one silver and one bronze.

Currently the team consists of nine chefs who have demonstrated not only their skills in culinary excellence but also their ability to perform in the highly pressurised environment of competition.

The team aims to grow to 17 chefs in 2025 and to 20 by 2026.

The Craft Guild Culinary Team is already preparing for its participation in the Culinary World Cup 2026 which will take place in Luxembourg in November 2026.

To exercise best practice in the competition, teams are required to use a digital HACCP system and FoodCheck 2.0 from Kelsius will be the system of choice for the competing Craft Guild Culinary Team. In addition, the team will use Kelsius’s world-class digital sensor technology which will provide automated temperature recordings of fridges and freezers. This will remove the need to manually take and input temperature recordings and all alerts will be directed in real time to a push notification app or email.

Team Captain for the Craft Guild Culinary Team, Terry O’Riordan said, “We are thrilled to have Kelsius on board as our sponsor and providing us with the critical digital HACCP system that will support our team in competition. We need robust and reliable digital HACCP that will give us real-time results under pressure. We believe that Kelsius provides us with that, and we look forward to working with the Kelsius team to help us ensure that the system is optimised and tailored for our very specific needs.”

Kelsius Sales Manager UK, Rob Lelliott said, “The Craft Guild Culinary Team has already demonstrated their extraordinary levels of delivery and performance at the 2024 Culinary Olympics. We are delighted that our FoodCheck 2.0 digital HACCP system has been selected for the team. Having demonstrated its capabilities we are extremely confident that it will meet and exceed the standards required for the World Cup scoring system. FoodCheck delivers and performs to the very highest levels, whether this is for a small hospitality business or a professional team competing on an international stage. We look forward to supporting the team as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup and we wish them every success.”

Pictured above: Wayne Corbett, Cold Team Captain, part of the Craft Guild Culinary Team, uses the Kelsius Digital HACCP system. 



To learn more about FoodCheck 2.0 for chefs, click here. 

Kelsius announces partnership with foodservice tech provider Nutritics

Kelsius has announced a partnership with food health software solution provide Nutritics. The partnership brings together Kelsius’ digital HACCP and wireless temperature monitoring solutions and Nutritics’ advanced recipe management and food information software to provide one seamlessly integrated solution for the food services and hospitality sectors.

A winning collaboration

The collaboration comes about as Kelsius and Nutritics have already completed several successful integrations with customers. As one combined solution, food businesses have access to a streamlined system that provides full food safety compliance, 24/7 temperature monitoring of food and ingredients, less food waste, access to real-time data, and improved operational efficiencies. Food businesses and organisations can ensure better management of ingredients and recipes for consistently fresh and nutritionally balanced dishes, all through one system that helps them to improve their sustainability.

The integration ensures that every part of food preparation, from sourcing ingredients to serving the final dish, is monitored for compliance and efficiency. Automated monitoring reduces human error and frees up staff to focus on other priorities.

Commenting on the partnership, Kelsius Chief Commercial Officer Mario Kelly said, “At Kelsius we are incredibly excited about our partnership with Nutritics and the unique set of benefits that this will deliver to our customers. For any organisation looking to reduce waste, improve sustainability and drive efficiencies, the technology integration between Kelsius and Nutritics will deliver huge improvements across their day-to-day operations.”

Angela Hart, Director Pre Sales at Nutrtics, said,” Nutritics and Kelsius have joined forces to offer a powerful combination of solutions. Nutritics provides a single platform for comprehensive food data management and digital publishing, while Kelsius is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of wireless temperature monitoring systems and digital HACCP systems. By integrating these solutions via APIs, customers can seamlessly automate their data flow with confidence and accuracy. This integration not only reduces manual labour but also minimises errors, ensuring greater efficiency and reliability.”

A sustainable solution

Both Kelsius and Nutritics place sustainability at the heart of their operations. The Kelsius wireless temperature monitoring system reduces food waste and removes paperwork by providing 24/7 real-time alerts when storage unit temperatures fall outside of set parameters. Temperatures and related data are stored in the Kelsius portal, allowing for ease of access for audits and reports.

With Nutritics’ food management software, businesses can monitor portion sizes, optimise ingredient ordering, and reduce food waste. The system provides detailed reports, allowing businesses to refine processes that lead to more sustainable practices, like reducing over-ordering or serving excess portions.

The integration gives businesses complete control over their inventory and storage processes, ensuring that ingredients are used safely and efficiently, and that unnecessary waste is minimised.

Together, Nutritics and Kelsius are helping food businesses embrace a greener, more sustainable approach to food service – one that is better for both the planet and the bottom line.

Customer safety

Customer safety has never been more important, and Kelsius and Nutritics have made it a priority. By automating the tracking of ingredients, monitoring shelf life, and ensuring full traceability across the supply chain, the partnership enables businesses to remain compliant with food safety regulations, including Natasha’s Law in the UK.

Pictured above: Ciaran Gallagher, Sales & Marketing Manager Kelsius; Richard Ward, Regional Director of Business Development (UK & IRL) Nutritics; Rob Lelliott, Sales Manager UK South Kelsius.

To learn more:

Click here to contact Kelsius.
Click here to contact Nutritics.

Nisa to kickstart trial with Kelsius to automate food safety management processes

The symbol group Nisa commences a trial in September 2024 with Kelsius, providing digital HACCP and wireless temperature monitoring for independent grocers in the group.

The Kelsius system will allow automated temperature control for stores to ensure food is stored and cooked properly. The system includes sensors and probes for deli, bakery or butcher counters, as well as in fridges and freezers.

The sensors automatically alert retailers when a fridge or freezer temperature falls outside set parameters, helping them to prevent loss of stock and food waste. Probes can be used to monitor temperatures on the spot.

Accessing data in real time makes it easier for the retailer to create reports, gain insights, and provide data for audits. The system can also help Nisa retailers to automate checklists and monitor routine activities such as cleaning tasks.

The system saves retailers time and resources on processes that would otherwise be undertaken manually, while removing the risk of human error.

Kelsius UK food retail sales manager Danielle Guy said, “We are all aware of the challenges that continue to affect convenience retailers. Labour shortages, increasing costs and supply chain issues mean that more and more, retailers are looking to engage in processes and procedures that help them to maximise efficiencies.”

She continued, “Using the Kelsius system means that managers and business owners have peace of mind that the system is monitoring valuable stock 24/7. Food safety practices are automated, consistent and compliant with regulations, with traceability assured from delivery through to serving customers.”

Read The Grocer article covering this story here.

 

Case Study: Musgrave Operating Partners Ireland (MOPI)

Musgrave Operating Partners Ireland (MOPI) represents 22 SuperValu stores that are owned and managed by Musgrave. As Ireland’s leading food retail, wholesale and foodservice company, Musgrave is proud to be one of Europe’s most successful family-owned businesses with a 140-year heritage in food and brand innovation.

In a busy and highly competitive food retail environment, MOPI was looking for a food safety system that would:

  • help them to streamline their HACCP process.
  • reduce time spent on manual temperature checks.
  • reduce time spent on paperwork.
  • provide reliable digital HACCP to automate processes for high food safety standards and regulatory compliance.

Kelsius worked with MOPI to deliver results for their stores. Using the Kelsius system, MOPI:

  • has achieved a 50% reduction in time spent on HACCP.
  • has all but eliminated stock loss due to temperature failures in plug-in fridges and freezers.
  • saves management time thanks to remote visibility of food safety activities in-store.
  • has achieved simpler and easy-to-access traceability for all colleagues.
  • can assure auditors with the ability to provide graphs and charts showing the history of a temperature and that spikes in temperatures are under control.
  • has achieved significant labour benefits as temperatures do not have to be manually checked, thus reducing the risks associated with manual processes.

 

Kelsius joins TUCO supplier framework

Kelsius is delighted to announce that it has joined the TUCO supplier framework as a technology provider that supports members to enhance food safety in their catering operations.

TUCO is one of the leading professional membership bodies for in-house caterers in the UK, supporting procurement and learning excellence. It works to provide quality standards and advice to those working in public sector catering. The organisation procures goods and services, helping members to drive down costs and maximise quality.

Kelsius is particularly proud to be part of the TUCO framework as it operates to very high standards for quality-assurance, value for money and to ensure that suppliers meet the needs of its members.

All framework suppliers are vetted and assessed by TUCO. TUCO’s dedicated procurement team works to provide members with access to over 15 EU-compliant framework agreements. Annual review meetings are held with each supplier and independent benchmarking is carried out. The eProcurement system provides members with an easy-to-use, one-stop-shop solution to manage supplier trading relationships.

Kelsius is now a technology supplier in the TUCO framework for Catering Innovation and Concept Solutions (CICS).  The Kelsius FoodCheck 2.0 solution provides wireless temperature monitoring and digital HACCP systems for the catering and hospitality sector. It improves food safety, ensures regulatory compliance, and helps caterers to control the costs associated with food safety management.

 

Kelsius launches the KELSIUS App for push notification alerts

Falcarragh, Co. Donegal, 8 May 2024 – Kelsius has launched the Kelsius App which allows all Kelsius customers to receive push notification alerts directly to their smartphone or device.

Recently mobile phone network operators have been increasingly treating automated SMS and automated voice calls as spam. This can result in the non-delivery of messages and in turn risks the user not receiving critical alerts. Now with push notification alerts via the Kelsius app, users can receive push notifications in real time for alerts such as alarms warning of temperature excursions, the status of sensors and other events.

Secure

Push notifications via an app have multiple benefits particularly around security and reliability. The Kelsius app uses the most robust encryption protocols, providing a secure way to transmit information. This is particularly crucial in the food sector and life sciences industries for sensitive notifications affecting high-value stock, products or samples. With high level encryption protocols in place, messages are less susceptible to interception, being isolated or not delivered, and are delivered in a reliable, consistent and dependable manner.

The app also supports two-factor authentication (2FA), adding an extra layer of security. Users can receive secure authentication codes directly through the app, enhancing the overall security of the communication. In the event that a user’s password is compromised, 2FA means that a potential hacker will be unable to gain access to the system using a password alone.

Reliable

Where managers and supervisors need to know that an alert has been received and actioned, the Kelsius app provides delivery confirmation. This lets users know when a message has been successfully delivered and when it has been read. Managers have peace of mind that alerts reach their intended recipients who are responsible for undertaking corrective actions when required.

Offline message delivery is another feature of the Kelsius push notifications app. Push notifications are designed to be more reliable in delivering messages even when the recipient is offline. The app can store notifications until the user is back online, ensuring that important messages are not missed.

Remote Access

Kelsius alerts via the app means that all alerts can be viewed and managed whether the user needs access on site or remotely. Remove access delivers:

  • Secure login from any mobile device
  • Ability to select any individual alert event by entering a PIN.
  • Ability to enter a predefined or custom corrective action.
  • Ability to close the alert event without going back to an office or a central location.
  • The app will report if an alert notification was delivered, if it was opened and if it was actioned.
  • All actions are recorded and viewed on the portal audit section.
  • Provides improved traceability, convenience and saves time.

 

Kelsius customers who currently use the Kelsius portal and receive alerts via SMS or voice call alerts can start using the Kelsius app today. Download the KELSIUS app from Google Play for Android or from the App Store for iOS. Login using your Kelsius portal login details.

If you’re new to Kelsius and work in the food sector or life sciences, learn more about Kelsius Push Notification Alerts here. Or contact Kelsius to find out how FoodCheck 2.0 and CoolCheck can automate your digital HACCP and wireless temperature monitoring processes.