When you use a temperature probse or thermometer in food operations, you’re potentially placing that probe into raw foods, cooked foods, sauces, or other items - and then maybe into a different food item later. If the probe isn’t cleaned and disinfected properly between uses, it can become a vector for harmful bacteria (such as Salmonella, Listeria or E. coli) being transferred from one item to another.
Using designated probe wipes which are designed to clean and sanitise the probe tip before and after each measurement, helps prevent cross-contamination, ensures the probe itself is hygienic when inserted into food, and supports reliable temperature readings for safe handling. This is also explicitly set out in food-service guidance: for example, the Food Standards Agency recommends that you “clean and disinfect the probe” and notes that “probe wipes are a good way to clean and disinfect probe thermometers”.
