Best Served Hot
1. Introduction
With Ridgy, compliance is as simple as taking a picture. Using vision AI, thermal imaging, and Bluetooth probes, the system extracts every critical food safety value automatically — no paperwork, no guesswork.
One image captures:
Temperature checks
Food classification
Storage conditions
Time-based compliance (2-hour / 4-hour rule)
Visual hygiene indicators
The result: instant, verifiable compliance records that protect your customers, staff, and brand.
2. HACCP & Food Safety Context
Hot holding is a critical control point (CCP), particularly in buffets, catering, hotels, and restaurants where bulk food is displayed for extended periods. The main risk is food cooling into the temperature danger zone (5–60 °C), where microorganisms and pathogens proliferate.
Keeping hot food at or above 60 °C ensures safety, but once temperatures fall below that, strict time controls apply.
3. Time as the Control Method
When hot food enters service, time is the safeguard once temperature drops:
Start point – Food must be ≥ 60 °C before service.
Up to 2 hours in TDZ – Food may remain on display or be rapidly reheated to ≥ 60 °C.
2–4 hours in TDZ – Food may stay on display but must be discarded after 4 hours.
> 4 hours in TDZ – Food is unsafe and must be disposed of.
Ridgy applies this automatically by calculating 2-hour and 4-hour thresholds from the captured image.
4. Key Fields Captured by AI
Food Identification – Item, classification, allergens, storage.
Temperature & Time – Measured temp, start temp, submission time, 2/4-hour limits, max service time.
Measurement Method – Thermometer, FLIR, or probe.
Visual Conditions – Hygiene, utensils, contamination cues.
Service Periods – Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Image Reference – Proof of compliance.
5. Risk Mitigation & Data Integrity
Each submission captures 36 unique data points. Far from excessive, every point acts as a layer of protection:
Compliance – Proves adherence to HACCP rules.
Risk Mitigation – Detects breaches before they become incidents.
Data Integrity – AI ensures objective, consistent capture.
Brand Protection – Strong defense against complaints and audits.
Consumer Trust – Customers know safety is backed by real evidence.
6. Decision Logic Summary
≥ 60 °C → Safe, compliant.
< 60 °C → Time control applied:
< 2 hours: may be reheated or returned to ≥ 60 °C.
2–4 hours: may remain on display but must be discarded at 4 hours.
4 hours: immediate discard.
7. Compliance Record Use
Ridgy turns every image into a compliance-ready digital record for:
Food safety audits
Regulatory reporting
Training and accountability
Simple, powerful, and trusted — compliance in one click.
Last updated
Was this helpful?