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Technology Buying Guide 2025: making food safety simple
You need software that’s intuitive and easy to use when dealing with one of the most important aspects of kitchen safety
Kitchen staff do not tend to enjoy the complexity, technical jargon or piles of paperwork that come as part of the job when it comes to meeting food safety regulations. Luckily, there is technology that simplifies compliance while protecting customers, staff and business reputations, all though recording and tracking food with ease.
Let your teams go digital with Logit
What is it? Edinburgh-based Logit digitises the daily workload of complying with food safety standards from any mobile device.
What does it do? The software guides teams throughout the day, alerting them when a task must be completed. Managers can monitor progress in real-time and receive automatic notifications. It also records and stores all food safety records and can help prepare for an environmental health officer (EHO) inspection.
Various digital checklists and customisable templates are available, such as Food Hygiene Inspections; Duty Manager Walkaround; and the Cooking and Hot Holding Temperature Checklist.
What the industry says Customers include Prezzo, Chiquito, Dirty Martini, Living Ventures, Village Hotels, Crieff Hydro and Frasers Hospitality. Graeme Windsor, executive sous chef at Signature Group, a collection of restaurants, pubs and hotels across Scotland, says: “Switching to Logit was incredibly easy and seamless. Audits take less time and reports give management the visibility to accurately measure performance across all our venues.”
Contact
Visit logit.co.uk/contact
Trail offers on-the-go tracking and alerts
What is it? Trail, an Access company, offers a digital checklist system that automates tasks such as temperature checks, food storage tracking and hygiene protocols.
What does it do? Key features include digital food safety logs, customisable checklists for compliance with regulations, and real-time monitoring of food handling practices. Trail enables staff to log and track food temperatures and expiry dates, and the platform sends alerts and reminders for missed or incomplete tasks, helping teams stay accountable and avoid food safety breaches.
Trail’s integration with other systems, such as inventory and supplier management, means operators can monitor and audit their food safety procedures in real time. Staff can conduct and record safety checks on the go, while managers can access performance reports and identify any compliance gaps. Trail also offers training and online resources.
What the industry says Customers include Wagamama, Parkdean and TGI Fridays. Tracey Colbert, Wagamama’s director of risk and compliance, says: “Trail’s simple-to-use interface has been very useful for us. We’ve rolled out to all locations with amazing feedback from our teams. Trail is making it easier for them to ensure our food and safety practices are upheld.”
Contact
Visit trailapp.com
Help hotel guests access F&B with Iris
What is it? Iris offers F&B ordering software for guests staying in hotels.
What does it do? Guests can pre-order food, set delivery times, arrange delivery or pick-up and make payments. Iris offers an attribute filter, where customers can filter items according to their allergens, intolerances and preferences. They can highlight dietary restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher) or potential allergens (gluten, shellfish, nuts, etc).
The app can be linked to a point of sale (PoS), which means menu items are fully synchronised with data from the PoS. This makes the menu editing process quick and ensure items always match PoS data.
What the industry says Clients include Marriott, Ennismore, Mandarin Oriental, IHG and Four Seasons.
Contact
Visit www.iris.net/food-beverage-ordering
Email Marcus Bird, head of commercial, at marcus.bird@iris.net
Offer up clarity with Brother food labelling
What is it? Brother offers food labelling services for stock rotation, ingredients and allergens, as well as sell-by dates for food packaged for direct sale.
What does it do? Brother’s label printers are robust enough for life in the kitchen and can print labels that are integrated with the software used on a site’s menu management system.
What the industry says Common Ground is an independent coffee shop in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. In 2021, owners Damian and Julie Besbrode decided to expand their offer by providing takeaway food for the first time, including sandwiches, salads and granola pots, served from a chiller cabinet in-store. That meant their prepacked for direct sale food had to be labelled with the name of the product and a full ingredients list, highlighting any potential allergens.
The solution came in a new Brother TD-4520DN desktop label printer, working alongside Brother’s free editor software, which enables users to design and print custom labels, including logos, images and barcodes. Julie Besbrode says: “It’s a very simple to use and efficient system and our labels look very professional, incorporating our logo. Once you’ve created a template, it’s very easy to edit it for different products.”
Contact
Visit www.brother.co.uk/business-solutions/mobile-print-and-label/food-labelling/contact-us
Generate reports with Food Safety Guru
What is it? Surrey-based Food Safety Guru offers a digital food safety system that is environmental health officer (EHO) and government-approved.
What does it do? The all-in-one app means anyone in the business can access daily checklists and customisable tools. HACCP, risk assessments, staff training records, incident and pest reporting and real-time monitoring analytics are all included in the app.
The system is regularly updated to keep track of regulatory changes and updated protocols, helping businesses avoid costly fines and penalties. The digital service can quickly generate comprehensive reports for EHOs and management, providing a clear overview of food safety performance and demonstrating compliance.
The monthly price includes HACCP and access to a helpline seven days a week. The rolling contract can be cancelled at any time.
What the industry says Mark Brown, head of operations at barbecued chicken chain Chicken & Blues, says: “We take food safety very seriously. All our sites have a level five food hygiene rating. We highly recommend Food Safety Guru. The system is easy to use, hassle-free and the company’s level of support is superb.”
Contact
Visit foodsafetyguru.co.uk/pricing-plans
Reduce food waste and energy consumption with Food Alert
What is it? Alert65 from Food Alert is cloud-based food safety compliance software.
What does it do? Alert65 is designed to cut down on paper, reduce food waste and improve energy efficiency. All compliance information and policy documentation can be stored centrally and accessed from multiple locations. It can also track food complaints and document accidents.
Food Alert offers on-site support and 24/7 advice on audits and HACCP development.
What the industry says Customers include TGI Fridays, burger brand Pickl, soufflé pancake brand Fluffy Fluffy, Roti King and PizzaExpress. Rupi Zani, quality and safety director at PizzaExpress, says: “We believe that by integrating safety procedures into the daily working lives of our team members, we can achieve excellent standards without it feeling like an extra chore. With this ethos in mind, we are delighted with the results of Alert65.”
Contact
Call 020 4579 8243
Visit www.foodalert.com/contact-us
The Technology Buyer’s Guide 2025
Booking tools How to use software to maximise efficiency in your tables or bedrooms
EPoS Why your electronic point of sale is at the centre of your profitability
Property management Control everything from one point: from room bookings to spa days
Guestline – more than a PMS How to tackle ’zombie’ hotel tasks
Workforce management Organise shift, take care of HR and look after your staff
Revenue management Software to forecast guest room booking and uplift revenue
Top image: Anton Vierietin/Shutterstock
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