‘Game changing’ web-based cold chain monitoring system launched

A new web-based cold chain service allows companies to easily and cheaply monitor the temperature of their products as they move from the food processor to supermarket shelves, said the company behind the system.

TempTRIP LLC, a joint venture between Sealed Air Corp and Results Oriented Inc, said its system provides firms with “game-changing information that will enable them to make decisions which will positively impact shelf life, food waste, expenses and brand equity”.

The on-line tracking programme links to RFID technology to give a continuous cold chain record of products “throughout the lifecycle of the pallet load”- even as it switched between transport firms, distributors, wholesalers and retailers, said the US-based firm.

“Although temperature monitoring has been around for a while, up until now, there wasn’t a system that allowed data to be collected, and easily correlated to other logistical data, throughout multiple chain segments.” said Phaedra Culjak, company chief operations officer said.

The technology can track a product’s journey on a map from harvest to retail – with the ability to flag up if it has been subjected to “off-spec temperatures”, he added.

It has been designed for use with a raft of perishable foods, such as meat, dairy, juices, produce, ready-to eat meals, and other fresh or processed foods.

Internet uploads

TempTRIP is made up of three basic parts - RFID smart cards, an RFID reader and the internet.

The first step is helping users to set up an on-line profile which includes shipping, storage and receiving-point data plus temperature configurations, and which parties get to see the results, said the company.

An RFID smart card is placed where desired – either on the pallet, an individual case or in certain locations within a trailer load. The monitoring process is launched when the pallet’s barcode is scanned by a reader and its data transferred wirelessly to the smart card.

Temperature is then recorded continuously, at whatever time intervals the company has specified. When the tagged pallets arrive at a distribution centre a further reading is taken to extract the temperature data stored in the smart – and results uploaded to the internet for inspection by the client.

Optional emails and/or texts can also be sent to supply chain partners.

This process can be maintained as the products continue through the chain – with new start and end times logged for each new company that handles the goods. At the end of the process they can also be cleared and reused for the next product cycle, said the company.

“The TempTRIP approach enables the data to be shared transparently with all of the channel partners including growers, food processors, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. This is powerful information that can be used to fine tune everything from which coolers, trucks or transportation partners perform better to which products should be rotated out of the warehouse first,” said Culjak.

Trialled over the past year, the system is now being rolled out across North America and Europe.

Source: Sealed Air Corp