Choosing the wrong Cold Food Bar opens risks

Guidance on Refrigerated Food Displays

The safe storage of cold food under 5 °C is one of the most crucial aspects of Australian Food Safety Standards. Despite this fact many food displays sold in Australia are physically unable to achieve this standard in any usual daytime ambient temperature.

Most City and Town Councils are particularly stringent on this standard which applies to both regular refrigerators as well as refrigerated displays. Any applicable product that is not stored below 5 deg C could potentially be required to be discarded, and must be thrown out if kept for over 2 hours.

Operators of equipment that does not conform to the standard can not only be burdened with extensive costs of food wastage, but also risk bacterial outbreaks that are potentially even more damaging.

Despite this fact, some equipment suppliers continue to promote refrigeration displays that clearly do not store food at below 5 deg C. These products include cold wells with a simple wound copper coil. Such a design with no cold air over the top of the food means everything other than food at the outsides of the pan is unlikely to be cold. Manufacturers are aware of this design issue but try to pass risk back to the client through fine print.

There are several Woodson food bar options that provide solutions to this problem and allow food to be maintained at required temperatures.

The standard straight Woodson cold food bar (WCFS series) uses the cold air from the top-mounted cross-fin coil to naturally fall down onto the food. The Woodson gantry includes double glazed front and side glass for better thermal performance and reduced condensation. They also include a condensate burn off tray as standard.

The down side of the simple and reliable design as that it cannot be used as a self-serve application, or with the doors off. This is because condensation quickly forms on the coil and turns to ice, ultimately preventing proper operation. Furthermore, the random gravitational fall of the cold air results in it often escaping through the rear doors and not onto the food.

As a result Woodson also offers a blown-well version of its cold food bars as a self serve unit (WCFS.SS series) or in its sandwich bars (WSMS series). In this product where cold air is moved over and under the GN pans, the cold air is directed to exactly where it is required.

The Woodson Self Serve Cold food bars also include lexen doors which fold up to become sneeze guards as well as an easy clean-out design. Alternatively, This unique product can be supplied without a gantry, where local resellers choose to fit a customised top.

When specifying Woodson self-serve cold food bars, customers should ensure they allow for the extra width and height of the base as compared to a standard cold food bar. They also need to have a drain for the condensation.

These units are being placed and sold into some of the harshest conditions possible such as Tropical North Queensland, Papua New Guinea and outback Western Australia and are proving genuine winners.

For more information on the unique Woodson self-serve cold food bar or other Woodson cold products, contact your local Stoddart rep.