Catering for safer restaurants

Major international fast food chains, including KFC and McDonald's, are showing interest in a UK-led European project designed to spot potential health hazards.

The EU-funded project,

(Intelligent Monitoring Of Kitchens), uses an array of sensors that monitor catering equipment such as refrigerators, and alert the kitchen manager of anomalies, such as a fridge door being left open. The intelligent kitchen would have all its appliances networked, and the system could be remotely monitored and controlled via the internet.

A number of special sensors for measuring pressure and temperature are positioned around the kitchen, monitoring appliances such as hotplates and freezers. a control screen displays readings for each appliance and can alert staff or an engineer via e-mail or text message when readings for any single appliance falls outside set parameters. The control interface provides real-time data and is configured so staff can interact with results on screen.

The project has been worked on by a consortium of European businesses, led by Hampshire company