Digital food safety management does not automatically make food safer. An employee can tick a digital box just as thoughtlessly as a paper one. The value emerges when the system makes the right check easy, records the deviation and shows what the employee did about the problem.
This comparison covers nine commercial solutions and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's free tools. It is based on public product descriptions and prices checked on 7 August 2026. We have not physically tested the apps, thermometers or advisory services.
Independent assessment: This article is not sponsored. All information comes from publicly available sources, and Gastroplan has not received payment, commission, products or any other consideration from the suppliers mentioned. The selection and assessments are our own. Information, prices and terms may change, so always check the specific quotation and current agreement.
Our longlist: In our market review, we identified eSmiley, eDokumentation, e-branchekoden, GladSmiley, ThermIT, ComidaQS, DinEgenKontrol/Monitor, Madkontrollen, SmartMate by Tingstad, FoodDocs, Smaqly, ShiftDesk, DBI Egenkontrol and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's free tools. Mortalin's former electronic self-monitoring system is not counted as a separate current solution because it has been transferred to eSmiley. The table is our editorial selection of nine commercial solutions plus the authority's free alternative. The longlist shows every candidate we found; it does not imply that no other supplier exists.
The selection is neither a ranking of the largest suppliers nor random. Comparable market shares are not public. We chose solutions representing different needs: simple documentation, professional advice, chain management, automated sensors, complex production and a free do-it-yourself alternative. Public documentation and usability in Denmark form part of the assessment.
Digital is an option - not the legal requirement itself
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration describes food safety self-monitoring as a combination of a written risk assessment, relevant procedures and documentation of the checks performed. The documentation must be available for inspection, but may be kept on paper or on the business's computer.
A small restaurant does not therefore need to buy a subscription simply to be ‘digital’. Conversely, reminders, photo documentation, shared oversight and automated temperature monitoring can make procedures much easier to follow in a busy working day.
The system must be adapted to the restaurant's risks. A supplier's standard form does not replace the business's own responsibility.
Ten solutions on the public shortlist
How to read the table: Yes means the feature is described publicly. Module means it may require a separate subscription or hardware. Not documented means we did not find a sufficiently clear public answer, not necessarily that the feature is missing.
Comparison - part 1 of 2
| Solution | Risk assessment | Checklists | Reminders | Deviation/photo | Automated temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eSmiley | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Module |
| eDokumentation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Photo and comment | Not documented |
| e-branchekoden | Yes | Yes | Yes | Error reports | Not documented |
| GladSmiley | Yes | Yes | Yes | Comment on error | Not documented |
| ThermIT | Unclear | Yes | Yes | Deviations | Yes |
| ComidaQS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Photos and alerts | Yes |
| DinEgenKontrol | Yes | Yes | Yes | Photos and documents | Not documented |
| Madkontrollen | Yes | Yes | Not documented | Deviations | Not documented |
| SmartMate by Tingstad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Photo and deviation | Module |
| Danish Veterinary and Food Administration tools | Yes | Templates | No | Manual | No |
Comparison - part 2 of 2
| Solution | Multiple locations | Advice | Report/export | Public price* | Term/cancellation* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eSmiley | Yes | Yes | Reports; export needs clarification | Quotation required | Not publicly stated |
| eDokumentation | Package | Support | Documentation; export format unclear | DKK 179/month or DKK 161/month billed annually | Monthly or annual billing; cancellation terms not stated |
| e-branchekoden | Yes | Yes | Reports; export format unclear | DKK 122-236.50/month | Can be cancelled at any time; paid period is not refunded |
| GladSmiley | Yes | Support unclear | Reports | DKK 99/month per location | No minimum term; ends when the billing period expires |
| ThermIT | Yes | Yes | Data/API | Quotation required | Normally no minimum term; cancel before the 20th; rental agreement may have a 36-month term |
| ComidaQS | Unclear | Yes | PDF/API | Quotation required | Agreed term; then 3 months' written notice |
| DinEgenKontrol | Package | Support | Not documented | DKK 129/month; chain package DKK 299/month | Can be cancelled in the app; notice period not stated |
| Madkontrollen | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Current price not public | Not publicly stated |
| SmartMate by Tingstad | Unclear | Unclear | Reports | SEK 219/month | No minimum term; monthly, quarterly or annual subscription |
| Danish Veterinary and Food Administration tools | Manual | Guidance | Files/manual process | Free | No agreement |
* Prices are the suppliers' public prices and generally exclude VAT where the website states this. The starting price does not necessarily include every marked feature. Setup, text messages, sensors, advice and multiple locations may change the total. An individual quotation may have different minimum-term conditions from the standard website. ‘Not publicly stated’ does not mean ‘no minimum term’.
Suitability and the most important open questions
| Solution | Best suited to | What needs clarification |
|---|---|---|
| eSmiley | Restaurants and chains needing advice, multiple kitchens and automation | Price, sensors, minimum term and complete data export |
| eDokumentation | Smaller restaurants needing conventional digital checks and clear pricing | Setup, text-message use, export and pricing for multiple devices |
| e-branchekoden | Businesses wanting a programme, industry support and guidance in one solution | Minimum term, export format and the specific setup |
| GladSmiley | Small restaurants focused on low, simple pricing | Advice, export format and advanced chain features |
| ThermIT | Kitchens with a strong need for automated temperature monitoring | Hardware, calibration, installation and total price |
| ComidaQS | Production kitchens, canteens and complex food flows | Price and whether the system's breadth is necessary in an ordinary restaurant |
| DinEgenKontrol | Individual restaurants or smaller chains wanting a known price | Export, sensor requirements and the scope of support |
| Madkontrollen | Restaurants seeking a newer modular solution | Price, market maturity, integrations and export |
| SmartMate | Simple cloud-based HACCP records and optional temperature monitoring | Adaptation to Danish law, support and whether the SEK price applies to Danish customers |
| Danish Veterinary and Food Administration tools | Small businesses with straightforward risks and the discipline to manage the process themselves | No commercial support, reminders or automated cross-cutting checks |
Five different ways to manage food safety
| Model | Relevant starting points | Strength | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple digital documentation | GladSmiley, DinEgenKontrol and eDokumentation | Low visible pricing and a direct replacement for paper forms | The restaurant may still be left alone with risk assessment, setup and interpretation |
| Programme and professional guidance | e-branchekoden and eSmiley | Help adapting procedures and following up on operations | The scope of the advice and total price must be described precisely |
| Automated temperature monitoring | ThermIT, eSmiley and SmartMate | Round-the-clock measurement, history and alerts for critical fluctuations | Sensor placement, calibration and alarm fatigue can make data misleading or disruptive |
| Production and quality system | ComidaQS | Can connect HACCP with recipes, production, nutrition and traceability | May be heavier and more expensive than an ordinary restaurant needs |
| In-house process using free tools | Danish Veterinary and Food Administration templates | No subscription price and full control over the process | Requires discipline, manual follow-up and in-house management of versions and documentation |
Madkontrollen is a newer modular candidate for which price, maturity, support and export still need better documentation.
Does the restaurant need refrigerator sensors?
Automated temperature sensors can be extremely helpful, but only if the alerts reflect the reality of the kitchen. An alert is typically triggered when the temperature becomes too high or moves outside the selected range. Every alert demands attention, checking and potentially documentation. If the system reacts to every brief rise in temperature, it can disrupt normal operations and create alarm fatigue.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration explains that routine checks often measure the air around food, but that it is also necessary in some situations to check the temperature of the product itself. When a refrigerator door is opened, the measured air temperature can rise quickly without all the food immediately reaching the same temperature. In a British field study, the door was left open during 33 per cent of observed meal-related occasions at food businesses - for an average of 43 seconds and, in a few cases, almost five minutes. This shows why a poorly positioned or incorrectly configured sensor can produce many brief fluctuations.
Ask the supplier:
- Can the alert threshold and delay be configured for the specific refrigeration unit and type of food?
- Where should the sensor be placed so it measures something relevant rather than merely reacting to the door?
- Can the system distinguish between a brief fluctuation and a persistent problem?
- Who receives the alert, and who must respond outside opening hours?
- Can the alert history reveal a refrigerator that is gradually deteriorating?
A chain with many refrigeration units, high-value stock, high staff turnover or a need for overnight monitoring may gain significant value from sensors. A smaller restaurant with few refrigerators and a reliable manual routine may find that the price, maintenance and repeated alerts outweigh the time saving. Do not buy sensors because they sound sophisticated. Buy them if they address a documented risk or workflow.
The most important feature is error handling
A system should not merely ask, ‘Has the refrigerator been checked?’ It should make it easy to record:
- What was measured, when and by whom?
- What was the expected limit?
- What was the deviation?
- What corrective action was taken?
- Is there a photograph, comment or other documentation?
- Was the task followed through to completion?
The system should also distinguish by severity. A refrigeration temperature outside the limit, insufficient heat treatment and an overdue routine task should not necessarily send the same message to the same people. If everything is marked critical, employees learn to ignore the alerts. Ask the supplier to demonstrate prioritisation, escalation and closure of a deviation, not just the green dashboard.
Test the system in the kitchen - with clean hands and under pressure
An office demonstration does not show whether the system works during goods receiving or in front of a refrigerator. Use a trial period to complete:
Goods receiving with a photograph and temperature.
Heat treatment and cooling with a genuine deviation.
A missed check and the subsequent reminder.
A corrective action requiring manager follow-up.
A search for documentation from six months ago.
Presentation of the risk assessment and report during a simulated inspection.
Export of all data, images and history in a readable format.
Have the employee who normally performs the checks try the system. If a record requires too many taps, quality will often fall when the kitchen is busy.
Plan the exit before entering
Ask who owns the data, how long it is stored and what exporting it costs. For example, Mortalin's former electronic self-monitoring system was transferred to eSmiley, and customers were asked to download their reports. This is not an argument against digital food safety management. It is a concrete example of why history and exit arrangements must be planned.
Calculate the true annual price:
Annual price = subscription per location + setup + text messages + sensors and hardware + advice + management time + data export
User time may cost more than the subscription. If six daily records each become just 30 seconds faster, the restaurant saves approximately 18 hours a year. At a total employment cost of DKK 225 an hour, that is about DKK 4,100. A real kitchen test should therefore count taps and seconds, not just features.
Conclusion: Choose the simplest solution that covers the real risk
GladSmiley is an obvious price starting point for a small restaurant. DinEgenKontrol and eDokumentation offer clear, conventional digital packages. e-branchekoden is strong when industry guidance needs to be included. eSmiley and ThermIT should be investigated for multiple kitchens, professional advice or automated temperature monitoring, while ComidaQS targets more complex production.
The best solution is not the one that produces the most green ticks. It is the one that helps employees identify a real risk, act on it and document the action afterwards.
Gastroplan helps restaurants map workflows and risks so their food safety programme reflects the reality of the kitchen rather than a supplier's standard form.
Sources
- Danish Veterinary and Food Administration: Food safety self-monitoring and risk assessment
- Danish Veterinary and Food Administration: Guidance on self-monitoring in food businesses
- Danish Veterinary and Food Administration: Refrigeration requirements for food
- Food Standards Agency: Observations of refrigerator use and temperature
- Official supplier product and pricing pages linked directly in the table
