Audit-ready in seconds:
digitalised temperature checks at Sutter
Sutter GmbH is a family-run business in the meat industry with its head office in the Rhenish Hesse region, Germany. The company has developed from a small village butcher founded in 1953 to a leading producer of meat and sausage products.
With 1,200 employees at two production sites, Sutter now supplies its products to all EU countries. It has partnered with a leading retailer for over 35 years and been IFS certified since 2004. In addition to its core business of sausage products, Sutter also produces delicatessen salads and has seven outlet stores of its own
The challenge
Sutter GmbH, based in Gau-Bickelheim, Germany, has recently introduced the use of Testo data loggers in both of its factories for the purpose of validating the pasteurisation and cooking processes in its smoke chambers. The impact is clearly evident in the quality assurance workflows: the intuitive software, the mobile use at two sites and the automated creation of PDF reports save significant amounts of time.
Ingo Werth, Head of Quality Assurance, values the rapid support and the fact that he can replace the batteries himself. “We used to have to individually programme each data logger and laboriously create reports”, Werth recalls. “Now, we get the reports straight from the software – in PDF format with a digital signature. That saves huge amounts of time and effort.”
Sutter has 39 smoke chambers, which it uses every day. It also uses six pasteurisers, which heat the products to their core temperature to maximise their shelf life. Every chamber and every product has its own requirements – whether Viennese sausage, meat loaf or cooked ham.
“Our task here in quality assurance is to know and check the critical control points – every day”, says Werth. “This is required by both the HACCP concept and IFS specifications. And it’s regularly checked.” Two sites, 1,200 employees and up to 250 tonnes of meat and sausage products every day: in the smoking and pasteurisation processes, every degree matters. “We use the data loggers to validate our processes”, explains Werth. “They enable us to check that the temperature specifications are reliably adhered to in even the most awkward places in the chambers and pasteurisers.” The loggers are used for confirmation purposes rather than permanently. Sutter is certified to the IFS Food Standard and has consistently achieved the higher level ever since this was introduced in 2004. It has also been certified according to the QS quality scheme since 2016
From a village butcher to a food supplier for the whole of Europe
At half past one in the morning, the over 70-year-old senior manager can still be found on the loading ramp unloading the lorries. This is just how things are at Sutter. The story began in 1953 with two pigs per week in a small village butcher in Rhenish Hesse. Today, the company primarily produces exclusively for one of the biggest German supermarket chains and exports to all EU countries. “You can travel to Finland or the Canary Islands and still buy our Viennese sausage or meatloaf in the supermarkets”, says Werth.
In addition to cooked ham and boiled sausage, for the past two or so years, Sutter’s range has also included delicatessen salads. Sutter also has seven outlet stores of its own, where it offers products that have had their packaging changed, surplus produced products and products from promotional offers at reduced prices.
Intuitive instead of complicated
Before working with Testo, the quality assurance team used data loggers from a market competitor: “Our previous data loggers are pretty old now. I was also never fully happy with the software, which had to be individually and laboriously programmed for every single logger. So when Testo explained its system to me, I got really excited as it’s far quicker and I can get my reports at the push of a button. I save time during both the preparation and follow-up stages”, says Werth. Sutter now uses eight loggers: four for the environment and four with a flexible probe as core loggers. The robust testo 191 data logger measures temperatures under all circumstances. Werth and his team also test stored goods several times a year to show that products are safe throughout their shelf life.
One case for all uses
In addition to the data loggers, the system also includes a multifunction case. “The case is brilliant”, confirms Ingo Werth. “The data loggers come in the case, which is connected to the software, enabling the loggers to be read and programmed. All manufacturers naturally say that their software is intuitive, but Testo’s really is. The programming and reading processes are both extremely simple; I only need to run through them once with the colleagues who need to use them and they’re able to do so themselves.”
Reports without copying, pasting and formatting
Werth is also impressed with the automated evaluation. “The software instantly shows me when the last logger has reached the target temperature and when the first falls below this again. I can see everything at a glance, which makes my work far easier.” Werth is able to store the finished report in PDF format directly from the readout data and sign it digitally. “I no longer need Word documents or Excel spreadsheets; the report is ready in five minutes. Thanks to Testo, the entire process validation workflow is faster and more accurate”.
Support that really helps
Sutter is also satisfied with the customer service. “When we first started using the devices and a couple of them didn’t work immediately, getting them replaced was quick and easy. That’s something you can’t take for granted nowadays”, says Werth. Another positive that Werth has noticed is that he can now replace the batteries himself – without having to send off the devices to a service team and wait for them to come back.
The conclusion after two months: an emphatic recommendation
Eight loggers, two cases and one conclusion: “I’d recommend the system any day”, says Werth. “It’s easy to use, the software works reliably and we’re no longer dependent on the manufacturer.” What’s more, given the constantly evolving requirements in the food industry, the modular solution also enables Sutter to remain flexible in the future.
Up to eight data loggers can be configured and read simultaneously in the multifunction case. The intuitive software and the ‘1-click report’ save time when evaluating and documenting the measurement data. Sutter opted for two multifunction cases, which can be flexibly used between the sites.
I would definitely recommend the Testo products to others. In my eyes, the software is great and the products are simple to use – including in conjunction with this case. I can even replace the batteries myself.
Ingo Werth
Quality Management Officer/Head of Quality Assurance at Sutter GmbH
