Union, NJ-based gourmet food supplier D’Artagnan is the leading purveyor of foie gras, game meat, organic poultry, pâtés, sausages and smoked delicacies in the country. The company employs over 125, with a fleet of trucks that deliver gourmet food products to restaurants and retailers, as well as a consumer-facing website for consumers to order products, which are shipped in special insulated boxes by overnight courier.
According to Bill Woessner, Installation Supervisor at Supreme Security Systems, “inventory control, theft and product tampering are some of the main risk management issues that are specific to the food distribution industry.” For food distribution, environmental controls and temperature are especially critical elements, and “when it comes to gourmet foods, the stakes are incredibly high.”
When it comes to environmental monitoring for a company like D’Artagnan, there is absolutely no margin for error. Their meats must be stored, transported, and delivered to customers at a constant and unchanging 32 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), which is slightly above their freezing temperature. D’Artagnan’s famous truffles are stored at 36°F, with a specific level of humidity, to prevent deterioration. By way of example, D’Artagnan sells Kobe-Style Wagyu Beef Tenderloin retail for over $50/lb, and Italian white truffles (the “diamond of the kitchen”) for just under $200/oz.
In 2014, D’Artagnan selected Supreme Security Systems to set up a state-of-the-art CCTV system for monitoring, burglar alarm for after hours and fire protection for their new 91,000 square foot food distribution and headquarters facility in Union.
One of the key crucial elements was reliable, cloud-based, around-the-clock critical condition environmental monitoring of D’Artagnan’s refrigerated room.
“In order to minimize the risk, specifically as it relates to D’Artagnan’s extremely valuable inventory, we consulted with the client and reviewed a comprehensive range of environmental monitoring capabilities – including temperature controls – which we then integrated into the overall security system,” commented Woessner.