Temperature and Humidity Monitoring System at Nettlebed Creamery

Nettlebed Creamery, an award-winning artisanal cheese producer in Oxfordshire, UK, is renowned for its high-quality organic cheeses, crafted with traditional methods.

Monitor temperature and humidity across production and storage facilities

To maintain their reputation and comply with stringent UK and EU food safety legislation, Nettlebed Creamery needed a reliable system to monitor temperature and humidity across their production and storage facilities.

Manual monitoring was proving labour-intensive, prone to human error, and insufficient for meeting audit requirements.

Partnering with IAconnects, Nettlebed Creamery implemented a LoRaWAN-based temperature and humidity monitoring system to ensure compliance, enhance operational efficiency, and safeguard product quality.

Cheese production and storage are highly sensitive to environmental conditions.

Temperature and humidity fluctuations can compromise cheese quality, encourage bacterial growth, or lead to spoilage, posing risks to consumer safety and regulatory compliance.

Nettlebed Creamery faced the following challenges:

IAconnects LoRaWAN Monitoring System

IAconnects, a leader in IoT solutions, deployed a tailored LoRaWAN-based temperature and humidity monitoring system for Nettlebed Creamery.

The solution leveraged LoRaWAN’s long-range, low-power wireless technology to provide real-time, automated monitoring across the creamery’s production rooms, maturation caves, and storage facilities.

Key components included:

LoRaWAN Sensors:

• IAconnects installed battery-powered LoRaWAN temperature and humidity sensors in critical areas, including production rooms (maintained at 10-12°C, 80-85% humidity for cheese making), Maturation and Hastening areas (8-10°C, 85-95% humidity), and refrigerated storage units (≤5°C, 80-90% humidity).
• These sensors, with a battery life of up to 10 years, provided accurate readings (±0.5°C, ±3% humidity) and transmitted data wirelessly through fridge seals and covering the entire facility with minimal gateways. The magnetic attachment mean that the sensors can be easily repositioned during cleaning to prevent damage.
• Additional sensors allow early identification of equipment failures reducing the likelihood of this impacting the production process by allowing to be rectified in a timely manner.

LoRaWAN Gateway:

• A single LoRaWAN gateway was installed to collect sensor data and transmit it to a cloud-based server via 4G/Wi-Fi, ensuring reliable connectivity across the rural creamery site.

Hosted Database:

• Sensor data was securely stored in a cloud-hosted time series database, providing a permanent record of temperature and humidity for compliance and analysis. 

Dashboard Representation:

• A user-friendly dashboard, accessible via web and mobile devices, displayed real-time and historical data through graphs and heatmaps. Staff could monitor conditions across zones, identify trends, and plan maintenance (e.g., defrost cycles) to prevent issues.

Alerting System:

• The system was configured with custom thresholds aligned with regulatory standards (e.g., refrigeration ≤5°C, maturation humidity ≥85%). If values exceeded safe limits (e.g., fridge temperature >5°C for >15 minutes), instant alerts were sent via SMS, email, or voice calls to designated staff, enabling rapid corrective action.

Regulatory Food Standards and Compliance

Nettlebed Creamery’s operations are governed by UK and EU food safety legislation, enforced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and local authorities. Key regulations include:

• Regulation (EC) No 852/2004: Requires food businesses to implement HACCP-based systems, including monitoring critical control points (e.g., temperature and humidity) to prevent hazards.
• Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013: Mandates safe storage conditions (e.g., refrigeration at ≤5°C for perishable goods) and accurate record-keeping for traceability.
• HACCP Principles: Nettlebed Creamery must identify critical control points, monitor them continuously, and maintain records to demonstrate compliance during audits.

Audit Process:

• FSA Inspections: The FSA conducts unannounced inspections to verify compliance, reviewing HACCP records, storage conditions, and hygiene practices. Auditors check temperature logs and interview staff to ensure protocols are followed.
• Third-Party Audits: Certifications like BRCGS or SALSA require detailed documentation of environmental monitoring, often reviewed by independent auditors.
• Non-Compliance Risks: Failure to provide accurate records or maintain safe conditions can result in fines, product recalls, or closure.

The IAconnects system ensured Nettlebed Creamery met these standards by automating monitoring, logging data, and generating compliance reports, reducing the risk of non-compliance.

Advantages Over Manual Monitoring

The IAconnects LoRaWAN system offered significant benefits compared to manual monitoring:

Since implementing the IAconnects LoRaWAN system, Nettlebed Creamery has achieved:

The IAconnects LoRaWAN temperature and humidity monitoring system transformed Nettlebed Creamery’s approach to food safety and compliance.

By replacing manual processes with automated, real-time monitoring, a cloud-hosted database, intuitive dashboards, and a robust alerting system, the solution ensured adherence to UK and EU food safety standards while enhancing efficiency and product quality.

For artisanal producers like Nettlebed Creamery, this technology is a game-changer, offering a scalable, cost-effective way to meet regulatory demands and deliver exceptional cheese to consumers.