Smart device may enable low
cost cold chain monitoring
Source of
Article: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Packaging/Smart-device-may-enable-low-cost-cold-chain-monitoring By Jane Byrne, 30-Mar-2009
A smart packaging device for monitoring
threshold temperature throughout the cold chain is low cost to enable broad
take-up by food manufacturers, claims its UK developer.
Smart packaging including freshness and temperature
indicators for use in supply chains for foods that are highly temperature
sensitive is a growing trend, but often their cost can inhibit wide use
within the industry. Reuben Isbitsky, joint chief executive officer of Timestrip, said its
newly developed sensor
Timestrip Plus records how long a product has been held above a
critical temperature and is extremely affordable, with cost as low as US
$0.50 cents per unit depending on batch requirements. He told FoodProductionDaily.com that the device differs from existing temperature
recorders that show immediate exposure to a critical temperature in that it
can accurately indicate whether a product is deteriorating. “Product quality can often be compromised by cumulative exposure to
elevated temperatures during transit and storage and, crucially, what
manufacturers need to know is how long their products have spent above a
defined temperature. “Using the Timestrip Plus adhesive label on product packaging ensures
that products that spend excessive periods of time above the correct
temperature can be rejected before being displayed in the retail outlet,” said Isbitsky. He said that it is possible to see at a glance how long a product has
spent about its safe storage temperature, even if it was at some stage
returned to the correct temperature. “A viewing window shows the indicator is active by changing colour
from white to blue, and as long as the product is held at or under the safe
temperature, the colour does not progress.
“Once the temperature threshold is breached the colour (liquid) moves
across a scale, showing how long it has been above that temperature, allowing
the user to take the appropriate remedial action. However, on its return trip
to the safe temperature, the colour stops progressing,” continued Isbitsky. Moreover, he claims, the cost of the sensor is low enough for it to be
placed on every unit or case, and in this way, a compromised product can be
segregated accurately, saving an entire shipment that might otherwise have
been discarded because of suspected temperature abuse. “The Timestrip Plus sensors are easy to use and don’t require training
so they can compete effectively with electronic indicators in terms of
accuracy, readability and cost to enable even small sized manufactures to
engage more widely in ‘cold’ supply chain product monitoring,” added Isbitsky. He explained that the sensors can be customised to meet most products’
temperature requirements, they can work under ambient, refrigerated and
frozen conditions, and are activated by the end user squeezing a bubble on
top of the indicator. According to Isbitsky, the sensors, which he said are US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) compliant, can also be integrated into a product's
packaging at the point of manufacture. |
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