The cold chain industry varied from the regular supply chain industry for one very important reason- temperature! Most of the products within the cold chain industry require temperature control as the products being transported are temperature sensitive.
For example, let’s take a look at the ideal temperature ranges for certain products within the cold chain. Fresh fruit and vegetables would require chill temperatures of 2C to 8C, whereas frozen meats would require temperatures of -20C. Dairy on the other hand would require temperatures of 2-8C or freezing temperatures of below 0 for ice creams. For pharmaceuticals, temperatures of 2-8C for off the counter products is required whereas a temperature of -20 and below is required for biologics. For vaccines, the ideal temperature range would be -60C and below.
So, to maintain these temperatures, the operations team needs to ensure that no stone is left unturned. Be it for packaging- where the material cannot be exposed to thermal heat, or the shipping method , where the right kind of cooling technique is used and maintained throughout the delivery process.
When it comes to road transportation, the consignment in question does stand a chance to be damaged if the vehicle is not equipped to withstand external conditions such as weather changes, Indian ambient weather conditions or even traffic. More so, if the vehicle’s doors are opened and closed multiple times, this can lead to changes in temperature within the vehicle and cause damage to the consignment.
For transportation of highly temperature sensitive consignments such as vaccines, there can be no slip ups. Once the consignment has been loaded, the temperature needs to be maintained at -60 and below. For this reason, a number of logistics companies use dry ice, owing to its ability to maintain sub zero temperatures. However, dry ice does come with its drawbacks, one of them being the risk of frostbite on handling. At Tessol, we use PCM technology, which is engine and fuel independent and charged at our warehouse, to ensure the correct temperature, which gets maintained throughout the distribution chain.
When we speak of F&B products, these need to definitely be transported at the right temperature as if there is any change in the temperature range, the products can go to waste. Food wastage is not just an issue of a loss in cost revenue, but also a huge factor in global warming. Every year, large amounts of food which goes to waste due to improper cold chain management, contributes to the emission of GHGs into the atmosphere.
So, how do we solve this? Temperature monitoring is key. While some temperature monitoring systems can be expensive, complicated to use with numerous wires and devices involved, Tessol’s TAMsys remote monitoring system is cost effective, easy to use and has a battery life of up to 6 months and 2 years. Our system is wireless and has an automatic set up with any smart phone! From cold rooms to last mile boxes, our temperature control device measures humidity and temperature, detecting any change in temperature. This allows our operations team to act swiftly, and ensure that no damage occurs to the consignment, before it is shipped!
