21/11/2023

HACCP Dishwasher Temperatures & How to Monitor Them

All UK food businesses are legally required to manage food safety risks using HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) principles. One of these control points is ensuring tableware and kitchen equipment are thoroughly cleaned.

As part of this, hot water in sinks and dishwashers needs to reach a high enough temperature to kill bacteria and viruses and effectively clean dirty dishes.

Dishwasher temperature for food safety UK

Advice on gov.uk suggests recommends the following dishwasher temperature guidelines as part of a HACCP food safety plan:

A minimum of 55 °C during the wash cycle.

A minimum of 82 °C during the rinse cycle.

At these temperatures, it’s difficult for pathogens to survive.

How to monitor commercial dishwasher temperatures

The best way to monitor your commercial dishwasher temperature is to use a specific dishwasher temperature probe like the DishTemp. Its unique shape simulates actual plate surface temperatures for more accurate readings.

Place it in your dishwasher rack, and it will monitor the water temperature throughout the dishwasher cycle. It records the high temperature reached with a resolution of 0.1 °C so you can accurately record the exact reading for your HACCP plan. The temperatures are highly accurate to ±0.5 °C, and it comes with a free calibration certificate.

If you already use digital HACCP software or are looking to implement smart thermometers into your system, the DishTemp also comes in a Bluetooth option. The DishTemp Blue pairs with your phone or tablet to automatically record the highest temperature, erasing the need for paper logging. You can view, download and share the data using the free HACCP LE app. Alternatively, a free software developer kit is available for integrating it into your existing system.

Cost-effective dishwasher monitoring

Test strips are a traditional method of monitoring the temperature of a dishwasher. These single-use strips loop around your dishwasher rack, turning green once the rinse temperature reaches 82 °C. Not only are they inaccurate and unreliable, but they’re costly, too.

At the time of writing, a dishwasher test strip costs around £1.77. If you test one dishwasher every day for a year, it amounts to £647.95. That’s over £600 you could be saving by choosing a more accurate and reusable dishwasher temperature probe like the DishTemp.

Summary

It’s important to regularly check your commercial dishwasher to ensure it reaches a minimum of 82 °C. The DishTemp thermometer is the most accurate and reliable tool for this. Plus, its reusability means it’s a more cost-effective option than single-use test strips. To make recording your dishwasher temperatures for HACCP compliance even easier, consider the DishTemp Blue Bluetooth thermometer.