Cold chain monitoring is essential to ensure the quality and effectiveness of sensitive products. Modern temperature tracking solutions provide supply chain managers with the data and evidence needed to obtain temperature-sensitive products from point A to point B and anywhere in between. This data also allows managers to optimize their cold chain logistics by identifying gaps and problem areas.
Cold Chain Logistics: Necessary Supply Chain
The cold chain refers to the passage of temperature-sensitive products from production to end users. These items include food, beverages, garden products, laboratory specimens, vaccines, medicines and chemicals. The cold chain includes all products that require temperature management, whether through cooling or heating.
The cold chain business faces many risks that require temperature monitoring. Stakeholders in the supply chain must also comply with government and industry regulations.
Risks and Dangers of Cold Chain Logistics
One unfavorable temperature event is enough to destroy the entire inventory of perishable heat-sensitive commodities. Some of the risks that can cause such incidents include:
● Extended power interruptions
● Refrigerator or freezer breakdown
● Human error, such as incorrect product packaging
● Temperature events occurring outside working
● Lack of infrastructure to monitor and report incidents
Why are these risks so important? Because of the historical record of the problems and the risk they cause, cold chain failures are not only costly and destructive, but can be really dangerous to consumers.
How to Deal With Temperature Hazards in The Cold Chain
Temperature data loggers can help mitigate product deterioration events caused by temperature fluctuations. We can divide them into two groups based on how data loggers (or data monitors) work.
Temperature Indicator
When the temperature is lower or higher than the preset range, these cheap devices will sound an alarm. Generally, they change color when exposed to potentially damaging temperature levels, for example from white to red. They provide evidence of whether the asset has experienced temperature excursions.
WarmMark is made up of an easy-to-use time-temperature indicator to inform about handling procedures under bad temperatures. The sensitivity range is between 0°F and 99°F. WarmMark is suitable for many cold chain monitoring applications, including transportation of food, chocolate, flowers, test samples, pharmaceuticals, etc. If the package becomes too hot – higher than default value -the indicator will tell how long it lasted, so you can measure the effect on the product.
