Europa-Park in Rust using Deutsche Telekom IoT to digitize quality control

Any good head chef has to do much more than prepare tasty meals. The responsibilities of the job are much broader. Aside from good flavor, their guests expect high-quality ingredients.

And legislators require kitchens to observe and document hygiene standards strictly. The restaurants’ operators want a sustainable use of resources. Chefs are now getting help from the Internet of Things (IoT). The Check Cloud solution digitalizes quality control procedures and documents the results. Seamlessly and in real time.

It also provides reliable data on systems and how well they are working. It can tell us, for example, whether cold storage rooms are working as they should. The Europa-Park theme park & resort in Rust is now using the solution. It is in operation in the gastronomic services at the new 4-star superior “Krønasår” hotel.

An IoT solution that eliminates paperwork

Hygiene is the be all and end all in the kitchen. As a rule of thumb, the broader the range of gastronomic offerings, the more demanding the requirements. In Germany, the rules on food safety are guided by the world-wide “HACCP” (hazard analysis and critical points) approach to hygiene.

What it means is that responsible people are required to carry out checks at critical points, fully documenting the results of those checks. What temperature was the chicken breast on delivery, for example? And at what temperature are they stored in the refrigerated warehouse? Are the containers they are stored in cleaned properly after use? Many restaurants use handwritten logs or Excel spreadsheets to make such checks.

But the job can be done more easily, faster and more reliably using the “Check Cloud” solution, a bundle to help businesses carry out and document their check routines. Check Cloud is based on Deutsche Telekom’s “Goods Compliance” solution, which the company has adapted to deal with the specific needs of the food and restaurant industries.

“We are working with the Max Maier Group, taking advantage of their international experience in equipping commercial kitchens. Through this partnership we have pooled expertise from both sectors in the ‘Check Cloud’ solution,” says Rami Avidan, who is responsible for the Internet of Things business at Deutsche Telekom’s corporate customer arm T-Systems.

Keeping foodstuff at the center of focus

Using fixed sensors, hand-held measuring devices and checklists, kitchen staff record the necessary data, including food temperatures, for example. And they can do so at whatever control point they select. All data then flows via the cloud into a clearly structured online portal, where it is processed for display and documentation. The end result is that the chef can see at a glance that everything is as it should be. And if anything goes wrong, the system alerts them to the problem.

Seamless documentation of hygiene checks

The IoT solution gives the entire food processing chain transparency. From goods delivery through storage and food preparation all the way to the food counter. The system allows chefs to prove that they conform to all regulations, leaving no gaps. As an added benefit, they receive valuable information from the system in real time on the condition of their foodstuffs. This ensures the quality of the food they produce and allows them to operate with less waste.

Europa-Park using the solution in the new “Krønasår” hotel

“We don’t cut any corners when it comes to quality. That principle applies to our amusement parks and hotels as much as it does to our restaurants. The digital transformation helps us to achieve the goals we set ourselves and to conform to official regulations,” says Arne Weimann, Deputy Director of Food & Beverage at the Europa-Park hotels. “Check Cloud impressed us both in terms of its functions and in relation to data security.” The solution is being used in the gastronomic services provided at “Krønasår”, the new 4-star superior hotel. Europa-Park opened the new hotel on May 31. Its two restaurants and one café has space for 1,300 guests at any one time.