The refrigerator is one of the most important pieces of equipment a business will ever purchase, be that for keeping the food safe or chilling the beverages. In South Africa this is especially true as we suffer from constant power outages and for business owners, this is a very frustrating time.

For restaurateurs, butchers or spaza shops or even your large chain stores, it’s an absolute must to keep you produce cold. The cold temperature slows bacterial growth and it’s the main cause of business owners losing profits. Bacteria exists everywhere, they can be found the soil, air, water, and the foods we eat. A known fact is that bacteria grows rapidly when they have nutrients (food), moisture and favourable temperatures, increasing in numbers to the point where some types of bacteria can cause illness. The bacteria manifest rapidly in temperatures between 4.4 °C and 60 °C, some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. A refrigerator set at 4.4 °C or below will protect most foods.

The ideal refrigerator temperature is between 1.6°C and 3.3°C. This recommendation teeters above freezing — no ice crystals or frozen foods here! — yet below the danger zone. When food temperatures are in the danger zone, the growth of bacteria increases exponentially, which causes food to spoil much faster than when it’s cold or hot. Eating spoiled food can lead to stomach aches and other more severe health complications caused by bacteria, like Salmonella and E. coli, according to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).

CaterWize offer a wide selection of refrigeration units to choose from to support just about any business outlet. The selections range from upright beverage fridges, underbar fridges, glass display freezers to island freezers, ice cream machines to the all-important ice makers. So, in short, In order to keep your foods cold enough and avoid food poisoning, it’s important to keep your food and beverages cold at all times to avoid falling ill.

So contact our store today to find out more on how we can assist you with one of our refrigeration options. Please do not hesitate to speak to CaterWize today to find out more about our products and services we can offer you.