This presentation covers the mechanics of fruit cold chain supply

1. Identifying and rectifying temperature and
humidity abuse in various fruit supply chains
from South Africa to the United Kingdom.
Malcolm Dodd
Department of Horticultural Science,
Stellenbosch University

2. Background
• Cold supply chains are vital for food security.
• They enable the movement of essential food
stuffs over vast distances, whilst at the same time
maintaining the quality and nutritive value of the
produce.
• Supply chains are also value chains requiring
careful management to ensure that maximum
returns are achieved.
2

3. Fruit supply chain from pack houses in the Western Cape in South Africa to a
Sainsbury’s supermarket in the United Kingdom.
3

4. Fruit is still alive after being picked.
Oxygen
Carbon
dioxide
Heat of
respiration
4

5. Respiratory equation
SUGAR + 0XYGEN
ENERGY + CARBON DIOXIDE + WATER
5

6. 6

7. THE COLD CHAIN
“ A cold chain is the seamless movement of chilled fresh produce
from production area to market through various storage and
transport mediums without any change in the optimum
storage temperature and relative humidity.”
Points to remember:
The quality of the fruit is at its highest when just picked.
The value of the fruit is highest at the point of sale.
This value will only be achieved if the fruit is excellent quality.
7

8. Optimum storage/shipping conditions
“ Controlling product temperature and reducing
the amount of time the product is at less-than-
optimal temperatures are the most important
methods of slowing quality loss in perishables”.
Thompson, Mitchell and Kasmire, Chapter 11, Post Harvest Technology
of Horticultural Crops. University of California, Publication 3311. 2004.
8

9. Cost item US$ value % of Sales price
Retail profit (Gross) 7.00 28
European transport 0.60 2.4
Importers commission 1.23 4.92
European logistics 1.85 7.4
Europe duties - -
Freight 3.84 15.36
Insurance 0.10 0.40
Exporters commission 0.72 2.88
Port costs 0.32 1.28
Cargo dues (conventional) 0.06 0.24
Transport to port 0.30 1.20
Finance charges 0.14 0.56
Hortgro Levies 0.04 0.16
PPECB 0.05 0.20
Packing materials 1.58 6.32
Packing charges 1.61 6.44
Farm costs 2.40 9.60
Nett Farm Income 3.16 12.62
Example of the
costs within a
cold/value
chain for a
12.5kg. carton of
apples shipped
from South
Africa to the
United Kingdom.
Sale price of the
carton was
US$ 25.00.
9

10. Background
• To maximise value of fruit/perishables in the market place the quality
must be maintained throughout a long and complex cold supply chain.
• Intercontinental cold supply chains present many challenges.
• To understand the efficacy of such a supply chain the methodology M⁴
(man must measure to manage) was used .
• Radio enabled temperature and humidity recorders were used to capture
product temperature and storage relative humidity from pallet birth up to
point of sale.
• Radio receivers placed at strategic points along the supply chain enabled
the segmentation of data thereby allowing for identification of
technologies or service providers that were not providing the required
service.
• Valuable lessons were learnt from this study which allowed for
improvements in the supply chain.
10

11. The links within the supply chain where temperature is measured
(Blue oval) and where it should be measured (Green and orange
ovals).
11

12. Content
• Methodology for measuring from the beginning to
end of an intercontinental cold chain, M⁴ (Man must
measure to manage).
• Results
• Summary
• Conclusion
12

13. Methodology 1
• The objective of the project was to map the cold supply chain in terms of
temperature and relative humidity from the birth of a pallet in South Africa
through all transport and storage up until the supermarket in the United
Kingdom.
• BT9-Tech radio enabled data recorders were placed in cartons of fruit on two
pallets per shipment.
• The time when and place where the pallet was moved from storage to
transport and the different storage zones along the chain was marked to
provide segmentation of the data.
• The first two objectives were achieved by placing radio receivers called
communication units (CU’s) at strategic points in the supply chain. These
collect the data from the recorders via radio signal. This data was then
uploaded onto the internet.
• Samples of fruit were taken as close to the end of the supply chain as possible
for final quality evaluation.
• This enabled the linking of possible quality defects to any temperature
deviations.
13

14. Methodology 2
• There was a partnership with BT9-Tech of Israel, who
provided the Radio Communication Units (CU’s) for loan
(3 in S. Africa and 3 in the UK).
• BT9-Tech also provided the radio enabled pulp
temperature and relative humidity recorders.
• BT9-Tech provided the ability to access the captured data
on a web site.
• The second partnership was with Sainsbury’s
Supermarket Group in the United Kingdom who provided
logistical support and QC reports of product.
14

15. Methodology 3
• Sainsbury’s managed the radio devise equipped
pallets through from the receiving depot, either
Chingford’s or Mack’s, to one of their DC’s, either at
Basingstoke in the South West or Langland's in
Scotland.
• When the pallets were broken down the Sainsbury’s
staff ensured that Quality Control samples were
drawn and the cartons with the recorders were sent
to the Kingsgate store in Dorset or the Livingstone in
Scotland where Communication Units had been
installed.
15

16. Position of radio receivers in the supply chain .
16

17. BT9-Tech radio enable pulp temperature and relative
humidity recorder.
17

18. Data will be presented.
• Data on the fruit temperature of shipments of
plums, apples, pears and Clementine's will be
shown.
• This data will be “segmented” into the storage or
shipping of transport link of the cold supply
chain.
• In addition the relative humidity of the air in the
storage environment around the fruit will also be
shown.
18

19. Graph 1. Example of a graph of plum pulp temperatures measured along an
intercontinental (South Africa to United Kingdom) cold supply chain.
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
25
49
73
97
121
145
169
193
217
241
265
289
313
337
361
385
409
433
457
481
505
529
553
577
601
625
649
673
697
721
745
769
793
817
841
865
889
913
937
961
985
1009
1033
1057
1081
1105
1129
1153
1177
Temperaturein˚C
25 = 1 day
Pulp temperature, Pallet 1.

20. Graph 2. Example of a graph of plum pulp temperatures measured along an
intercontinental (South Africa to United Kingdom) cold supply chain.
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
25
49
73
97
121
145
169
193
217
241
265
289
313
337
361
385
409
433
457
481
505
529
553
577
601
625
649
673
697
721
745
769
793
817
841
865
889
913
937
961
985
1009
1033
1057
1081
1105
1129
1153
1177
Temperaturein˚C
25 = 1 day
Pulp temperature, Pallet 1.
Load container Unload
container
DC 2DC 1 20

21. Graph 3. Relative humidity in the storage air measured along an
intercontinental (South Africa to United Kingdom) cold supply chain.
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1
25
49
73
97
121
145
169
193
217
241
265
289
313
337
361
385
409
433
457
481
505
529
553
577
601
625
649
673
697
721
745
769
793
817
841
865
889
913
937
961
985
1009
1033
1057
1081
1105
1129
1153
1177
%Relativehumidity
25 = 1 day
Angelino plums Trial 3. Relative humidity
Relative humidity, Pallet 2.Average = 94.5% Relative humidity, Pallet 1. Ave = 87.4%.
21

22. Plums
22

23. Graph 4. Laetitia plums 1, pulp temperatures. Route: Fruit 2 U to Chingford’s DC to
Basingstoke DC to Kingsgate Store.
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
1 50 99 148 197 246 295 344 393 442 491 540 589 638 687 736 785 834
Temperature˚C
50 = 1 day
Laetitia plums Trial 1. Pulp temperatures
Pallet 1 Pallet 2
Data
recorders
installed
Load container DC 1 Supermarket
DC 2 23

24. Graph 5. Laetitia plums 1, relative humidity. Route: Fruit 2 U to
Chingford’s DC to Basingstoke DC to Kingsgate Store.
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 50 99 148 197 246 295 344 393 442 491 540 589 638 687 736 785 834
%relativehumidity
50 = 1 day
Laetitia plums Trial 1. Relative humidity
Pallet 1, relative humidity, 89.4%. Pallet 2, relative humidity, 85.4%.
24

25. Graph 6. Angelino plums 3, pulp temperatures. Route: Ceres Cold Stores to
Chingford’s DC to Basingstoke DC to Kingsgate store.
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
25
49
73
97
121
145
169
193
217
241
265
289
313
337
361
385
409
433
457
481
505
529
553
577
601
625
649
673
697
721
745
769
793
817
841
865
889
913
937
961
985
1009
1033
1057
1081
1105
1129
1153
1177
Temperaturein˚C
25 = 1 day
Angelino plums Trial 3. Pulp temperature.
Pulp temperature, Pallet 1. Pulp temperature, Pallet 2.
Supermarket
Load container Unload
container
DC 2DC 1 25

26. Graph 7. Angelino plums 3, relative humidity. Route: Ceres Cold Stores to
Chingford’s DC to Basingstoke DC to Kingsgate store.
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1
25
49
73
97
121
145
169
193
217
241
265
289
313
337
361
385
409
433
457
481
505
529
553
577
601
625
649
673
697
721
745
769
793
817
841
865
889
913
937
961
985
1009
1033
1057
1081
1105
1129
1153
1177
%Relativehumidity
25 = 1 day
Angelino plums Trial 3. Relative humidity
Relative humidity, Pallet 2.Average = 94.5% Relative humidity, Pallet 1. Ave = 87.4%.
26

27. Apples and pears
27

28. Graph 8. Packham's Triumph pears 3, pulp temperatures. Valley Packers to Mack’s
DC, to Basingstoke DC to Kingsgate Store.
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
1 25 49 73 97 121 145 169 193 217 241 265 289 313 337 361 385 409 433 457 481 505 529 553 577 601 625 649 673 697 721
Temperaturein˚C
25 = 1 day.
Packham's Triumph pears. Trial 3. Pulp temperature.
Pallet 1 Pallet 2.
Load container
Unload
container
28

29. Graph 9. Packham's Triumph pears 3, relative humidity.
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 25 49 73 97 121 145 169 193 217 241 265 289 313 337 361 385 409 433 457 481 505 529 553 577 601 625 649 673 697 721
%Relativehumidity
25 = 1 day
Packham's triumph pears. Trial 3. Relative humidity.
Pallet 1. Relative humidity. Average = 78.1% Pallet 2. Relative humidity = 80.2%.
29

30. Graph 10. Royal gala apples 2, pulp temperatures. Valley Packers to Mack’s
DC to Basingstoke DC to Kingsgate store.
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
1
36
71
106
141
176
211
246
281
316
351
386
421
456
491
526
561
596
631
666
701
736
771
806
841
876
911
946
981
1016
1051
1086
1121
1156
1191
1226
1261
1296
1331
1366
1401
1436
1471
1506
1541
1576
1611
Temperaturein˚C
35 = 1 day
Royal Gala Apples, pulp temperature.
Pulp temperature, Pallet 1. Pulp temperature, Pallet 2.
Load container
Unload container
DC 1 SupermarketDC 2
30

31. Graph 11. Royal gala apples 2, relative humidity. Valley
Packers to Mack’s DC, to Basingstoke DC to Kingsgate Store.
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1
34
67
100
133
166
199
232
265
298
331
364
397
430
463
496
529
562
595
628
661
694
727
760
793
826
859
892
925
958
991
1024
1057
1090
1123
1156
1189
1222
1255
1288
1321
1354
1387
1420
1453
1486
1519
1552
1585
1618
%Relativehumidity
36 = 1 day
Royal Gala, relative humidity.
Relative humidity, Pallet 1,87.7%. Relative humidity, Pallet 2, 84.4%.
31

32. 32

33. Graph 12. Satsumas 1, pulp temperatures.
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
1 25 49 73 97 121 145 169 193 217 241 265 289 313 337 361 385 409 433 457 481 505 529 553 577 601 625 649 673 697 721
Temperaturein˚C
25 = 1 day
Satsumas Trial 1
Pulp temperature, Pallet 1. Pulp Temperature, Pallet 2.
Load container
Unload
container
DC 1 DC 2
Supermarket
33

34. Graph 13. Satsumas 1, relative humidity.
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 25 49 73 97 121 145 169 193 217 241 265 289 313 337 361 385 409 433 457 481 505 529 553 577 601 625 649 673 697 721
%Relativehumidity
25 - 1 Day
Satsumas Trial 1, Relative humidity.
Relative humidity, Pallet 1. Relative humidity, Pallet 2.
34

35. Summary
• This project revealed that the cold chain investigated
can be described as:
“Consistently inconsistent”
• Deviations from the ideal occur in temperature and
relative humidity in all links of the supply chain.
• The longest period of time in the supply chain is spent
inside a shipping container and this is where most of the
inconsistent temperatures and Relative humidity were
measured.
• The temperature management during the shipping phase
is very erratic.
• What can be done about this ?
35

36. Conclusion
• This project provided visibility into the temperature and
Relative humidity levels along a cold supply chain that had
never been available before.
• The data showed that there are links in the cold supply chain
where temperature and humidity management are not ideal.
• The link in the cold chain that consistently has poor
temperature and relative humidity management is the
shipping phase, which is where the owners of the cargo have
no control.
• With the visibility created with this technology ,it is now
possible for owners of the cargo to hold service providers to
the terms of their service contracts and make them
accountable for any deviations from expected service.
36

37. Acknowledgements
• The department of science and Technology Post
Harvest Innovation Programme for funds.
• Dr Theresa Huxley of Sainsbury’s for logistical
support.
• BT9-Tech for radio enabled measuring equipment.
37

38. THANK YOU
38

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