Ken,
You are absolutely right. They are a sealed device like a precision glass
thermometer. As long as the glass is not chipped or broken, there is no need
for checking calibration.
The bimetalic coil thermometer that the regulatory use is an entirely
different problem and really can never be trusted to give an accurate
reading. The regulatory must be required to have a precision thermocouple
thermometer and check its calibration probably once a week at two
calibration point such as boiling water and slush iced. The boiling point is
verified with a precision glass thermometer.
Pete Snyder
-------------
Ken Hilderbrand wrote:
> I see the FDA is citing processors in "warning letters" for not keeping
> calibration records on their salometer (salt hydrometer):
>
> "In addition, your firm does not have calibration records for the salometer
> used to measure the
> salinity of ready-to-eat, cold smoked salmon during the “CURE” critical
> control point
> operation to control for the food safety hazards of pathogen growth and
> toxin formation
> including Clostridium botulinum."
>
> I believe that salometers do not need periodic calibrating. They either
> float or they don't - and if they don't they are broken and can not be
> adjusted! It might be a good idea to check a new salometer against a
> standard (like a fully saturated salt solution) to make sure it is reading
> correctly (may to make sure the factory didn't screw it up) - but beyond
> that I think periodic calibration and record keeping is a waste of time
> better spent cleaning up the process area.
>
> Anybody got ANY thoughts on this? Am I wrong? Has anyone ever seen an out of
> calibration salt hydrometer? Or an out of calibration hydrometer of any
> kind?
>
> Does the glass crack and leak? Why do they need periodic calibration? Do
> these simple glass and lead devices pose a hazard which is "reasonably
> likely to occur"?
>
> The last one I dropped on a cement floor DID NOT need subsequent
> recalibration.
>
> Kenneth S. Hilderbrand Jr.
> Seafood Processing Specialist
> Sea Grant Extension Program
> Oregon State Univ. Marine Science Center
> 2030 Sth Marine Science Drive
> Newport, Oregon 97365-5296 USA
> phone: 541 867-0242
> fax: 541 867-0369
> email: <ken.hilderbrand@hmsc.orst.edu>
>
>
-- O. Peter Snyder, Jr., PhD Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management 670 Transfer Road, Suite 21A, St Paul, MN, 55114 http://www.hi-tm.com Tel 651-646-7077 Fax 651-646-5984 One Worldwide qualified set of food safety guidelines.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Feb 14 2002 - 13:23:40 PST