For quick-frozen food, the answers to three questions are written in Turkish Food Codex Communique No. 2014/48 (Official Gazette, 18 October 2014).
| Question | Communique |
|---|---|
| Which device | Measuring and recording device meeting TS EN 12830, 13485 and 13486; the business holds the conformity documents |
| Which interval | Ambient temperature recorded at frequent and regular intervals, no number of minutes given |
| How many years | Kept with date and time for at least one year, longer if the product's nature and shelf life call for it |
EN 12830 is the standard for the recorder, EN 13485 for the thermometer, and EN 13486 for the periodic verification of both. A record from an unverified device is not as solid as it looks.
The nature of the work sets the interval: it must be shorter than the time in which the temperature inside the container can change meaningfully. On a long journey a 15-minute interval tells the story; in city distribution with 30 stops the same interval hides two stops at once. If you want to see door openings, tighten it.
An ambient record shows the air in the container, not the core temperature of the product. In a dispute the ambient curve along the route and a product measurement taken at delivery work together. Keep the raw file unaltered; for an excursion add start and end times, measurement point, affected lots and the action taken.
Before buying a device, answer three questions in writing: where the sensor goes, how the data is downloaded, and who looks at it and when. In an insulated container a sensor near the lid exaggerates door openings and one at the bottom reports late; measure at the riskiest point of the load.
