Are you a business or a logistics specialist dealing with temperature-sensitive products? Then, you are familiar with the considerable cost and losses due to perished foods and products.

In Kenya and most parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, about 40% of food gets spoiled before reaching consumers. For fresh produce, this percentage rises to 60%.

The best way to avoid huge losses for farmers and businesses that deal with perishable products is through cold chain or temperature monitoring solutions.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), cold chain logistics reduce post-harvest losses by 25-50%. Small-holder farmers and businesses lose millions as fruits and vegetables fail to reach the market.

 

What is cold chain?

 

A cold chain involves the packaging, handling, storage, and transportation of temperature-sensitive products from producers or farmers to final consumers.

These products include meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and pharmaceuticals.

Also known as temperature-controlled logistics, cold chain helps maintain the quality of products. The cold chain comprises refrigerated facilities such as reefers, warehouses, and monitoring tools to ensure that the products are kept at optimum temperatures.

   

The most common products that require temperature monitoring logistics include:

   

• • • • • Seafood
        • Meat and meat products
        • Fruits
        • Vegetables
        • Dairy products
        • Beverages
        • Flowers
        • Pharmaceuticals & vaccines

 

Why is cold chain important

The cold chain is crucial in reducing food wastage, improving health, and facilitating trade as producers can get their goods to the right customers anywhere in the world.

Perishable foods require to be maintained at certain temperatures to ensure that they are safe for consumption. For example, meat and meat products can become spoilt and harmful when consumed.

Supermarkets, farmers, and food suppliers know how much a lack of proper storage can cost them in terms of sales not to mention the risk of food poisoning and foodborne illnesses.

Food loss occurs during packaging, transportation, and storage. Cold chain management can help avoid this loss. Maintaining the right temperatures for foods and perishable commodities is key to avoiding contamination and spoilage.

According to FAO, Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest percentages of food loss at 21.4% globally.

Some medications and pharmaceutical products also need to be maintained at constant temperatures to maintain their potency.

Due to the health implications of pharmaceuticals, governments, and health organizations have set strict regulations for handling and transporting pharmaceuticals.

With cold chain solutions, products can last longer, improving the sales cycle, and also be transported to the farthest destinations ensuring farmers and producers get worthwhile returns for their products.

 

What to consider in cold chain logistics

Temperature-sensitive products such as pharmaceuticals, foods, and flowers require to be maintained at consistent temperatures throughout the stages of packaging, transportation, storage, and final delivery to the consumer.

To ensure that the products are safe during the entire supply chain here are some factors to consider:

• • • • • • • • Risks to a product’s integrity
                • Acceptable risk levels
              • • The product’s temperature and humidity range
              • • Temperature margin for error
              • • How is temperature controlled
              • • Availability of backup temperature controls
              • • Airflow and its impact on temperature
              • • Temperature logging and data tracking

 

There is a consensus among industry players that transportation is one of the biggest challenges in cold chain logistics. During transportation/courier services, there are different unseen risks on the road, including; traffic, vehicle breakdowns, and damaged roads.

 

Crucial touchpoints in the cold chain logistics process

 

While working in cold chain logistics, there are vital points in the entire process, that need to be analyzed carefully. It is important to conduct a risk assessment of the different stages, including packaging and transportation, and adjust accordingly.

 

You can add extra shipping time, and use backup generators and vans that can maintain the temperature for longer in case of any delays.

  Here are some of the touchpoints to look into:  

• Loading and preparing the products for transport

 

Packaging, loading, and unloading products for transportation add challenges to the cold chain because they are mostly unmonitored. Any delays in this process may lead to damage to the products because of temperature fluctuations.

 

• Vehicles/Vessels

 

When transporting temperature-sensitive products such as pharmaceuticals, flowers, or fruits, it is important to ensure that they will not be compromised in the process. To protect these products, temperature-controlled trucks and vehicles are used. These trucks are outfitted with electronic controls that regulate temperatures.

 

• Storage and warehousing

 

A warehouse or storage facility for the products being transported also needs to have temperature control devices and equipment installed. This is because even the slightest fluctuation in temperatures may lead to damage.

Power outages are a concern in many developing nations, therefore to ensure that the temperatures in storage facilities are maintained, it is vital to install backup generators.

Having alarm logs and alerts keeps you informed in case of any power outages or temperature fluctuations. Avoid placing the products near exits and doors because of temperature fluctuations.

At all the above stages, you should do a thorough risk assessment and take the necessary steps to ensure the temperature does not drop below safe levels.

 

Types of cold chain systems and transport

 

Cold chain systems are defined based on the type of transportation and onboard storage facilities in the mode of transportation. The basic systems are active, passive, and hybrid systems.

• Active systems containers

 

They use electric or mechanical systems to control and maintain optimum temperatures for the products. They are powered by internal batteries or external electrical sources. These systems do not use phase change materials (PCM) like water or ice.

 

Active systems are mostly used in air and sea freight shipping.

• Passive systems containers

These systems use phase change materials such as ice and are the most common, primary, and cost-effective shipping systems.

Passive systems are designed for short distances and help minimize temperature fluctuations. The passive containers maintain the set temperatures for a specified period, afterwards, they expire.

• Refrigerated vehicles

This is the most commonly used temperature-controlled system. They are equipped with temperature-controlling materials that ensure products maintain the set temperature throughout the transportation.

The trucks have built systems to maintain cold or hot temperatures depending on the cargo being transported.

 

The ideal temperature for various products

To avoid spoilage and maintain the shelf life of different products and foods, need to be maintained at set temperatures. However, different products require different temperatures. For example:

 

• • • • • • • Pharmaceuticals & medicines – between 2℃ and 8℃
          • • Fresh produce – between 14℃ and  24℃
          • • Fruits vegetables and dairy products – between 7℃ and 14℃
          • • Frozen meat and seafood – between -18℃ and 0℃

   

Challenges in cold chain logistics

As with any industry, the cold chain logistics sector also faces a myriad of challenges that can have serious health and financial consequences for producers, suppliers, and consumers.

Challenges range from quality standards, sensitivity to temperature, overloading, and regulations. Here are some of the common challenges facing the industry:

   

Resource constraints– managers and the industry lack enough resources to manage the rising needs for cold chain logistics, especially in developing nations where access to equipment is limited.

 

Wastage in packing and storage – Cold chain logistics demand special packing materials and storage facilities. Inadequate planning or preparation of packaging materials may result in high losses.

Equipment breakdowns -malfunctioning of equipment is one of the biggest challenges in cold chain management. Power fluctuations or damaged cooler or freezer doors may lead to huge losses.

Health concerns – As consumers get more concerned about their safety, it is adding to the logistical challenge of packaging and transporting fresh produce and maintaining certain temperatures as needed by consumers.

Consumer dynamics – as consumer needs keep growing, suppliers are finding it more challenging to keep up. For example, consumers who need goods and products delivered to their doorstep and within set timelines.

Temperature fluctuations – The main requirement for cold chain logistics is to have an unbroken chain, from packaging, storage, and transport. Power outages and lack of backup power may adversely affect the quality of the products.

 

Exposure to heat – Prolonged exposure to heat and outside temperatures on loading and offloading.

Human error – Lack of experience in handling temperature-sensitive products can cause further issues that lead to increased costs of cold chain logistics.

     

Temperature monitoring in the cold chain

 

Monitoring and tracking are important in any supply chain, with it being more important in cold chain logistics due to the sensitivity of the products. Tracking enables logistics specialists to see what is happening across the logistics pathway.

a worker inspecting the temperature of goods in a warehouse.    

Having an insight into your internal data from packaging to final delivery ensures that temperature-sensitive products are kept and maintained in good quality.

 

Tracking

  For easier tracking, you can take advantage of technologies such as:  

• • • • • • • GPS (global positioning system)
          • • RFID (radio-frequency identification)
          • • GSM (global system for mobile communication)
          • • Bluetooth low energy (BLE)

 

Tracking solutions such as GSM and GPS allow logistics specialists to track the location of the transport vehicles in real time. Attaching GPS devices to containers or refrigerated trucks, keeps you updated on where the products are in real-time.

 

The GPS can send alerts on any device on routes being used, expected arrival time, or delivery time.

 

RFIDs and BLEs work differently in that they need to be scanned to fetch the data. They are usually installed at checkpoints or distribution centers. They are ideal for indoor tracking.

 

Monitoring

 

The GPS and RFID are great for tracking but cannot measure and record data on temperature and transmit them to logistics specialists or suppliers. To monitor temperature and humidity, you need other devices such as:

• • • • • • • Data loggers
          • • Bluetooth temperature sensors

 

Optimize your cold chain with Tracking Hub Ltd.

Despite the potential benefits of the cold chain, Sub-Saharan Africa lacks robust cold chain management due to a lack of adequate financing, poor electricity, and a lack of local manufacturers of temperature monitoring tools.

     

Tracking Hub Limited provides a way to track and monitor your supply chain. Through the integration of your systems, that is GPS and monitoring solutions such as data loggers we provide you with one system where you can monitor your cold chain logistics process from end to end.

 

Using our systems you will be able to receive location, temperature, and other important information directly into your internal system.

 

Want to know more? call us at +254 709 757 000 or follow this link Cold Chain Solution – Tracking Hub for a free demo.

   

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