1. Exploring Vulnerabilities
in the
Cold Chain
Practical
Approaches
Nick Pacitti
Chicago, IL
7 Nov 2013

2. • Creating clear protocols and product standards
• Evaluating cold chains for trends and weaknesses
• Managing product/information flows at transfer points
• Minimizing cost while maximizing quality
Vulnerabilities in the Cold Chain

3. Description US Units
Public Blast Freezers 51,000
Private Blast Freezers 100,000
Public Refrigerated/Freezer Facilities 12,800
Private Refrigerated/Freezer Facilities 114,000
Public Coolers 1,600,000
Private Coolers 2,200,000
Restaurant Coolers/Freezers greater than 1K sf 4,000,000+
Public Refrigerated Trailers 30,000,000
Private Refrigerated Trailers 9,000,000
Public Refrigerated Railcars 31,000
Private Refrigerated Railcars 35,000
Sources:
International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses
World Logistics Organization
International Refrigerated Transportation Association
International Association of Cold Storage Construction
Refrigerated distribution is huge…

4. Vulnerabilities in the Cold Chain

5. However, there are exceptions

6. Cold Chain Making National News
http://www.today.com/id/26184891/vp/44623239#44623239
http://youtu.be/0dNqUK6caAo?t=4m18s

7. 7
Actual Examples of a Cold Chain in Action
Cumulative Average
Temperatures

8. Another Example of Poor Cold
Chain Performance
Adulterated
Product
Compromised
Product
Desired
Product
45 to 50
+
40 to 44.9
< 39.9
42%
12%
46%
88% of product delivered
had been compromised and
based on science should
have been disposed of
Cumulative Average
Temperatures

9. Creating Protocols and Standards

10. Protocols and Product Standards
An example of an actual Desired State for large shipper
• An optimal carrier base for chilled loads that properly balances
service and cost
• Clearly defined carrier expectations for temperature control and
rigorous carrier performance management
• Well defined processes, standard work and data sources for chilled
product staging, loading and shipping; clear accountability at each
step of the process
• Systemic data gathering around temperature abused loads across
all chilled product categories
• Selection and application of temperature monitoring technology
that expands data capture across chilled shipments

11. Required Component Description
Available cold chain policy
Provides guidance and temperature thresholds on all the elements from
pre-loading to loading , yard mgmt/trailer staging, monitoring through to
delivery
Determine product limits
Using real life operating environment simulate the effect of
cumulative average temperatures on product stability and spoilage
rates
Temperature range stipulations
Based on spoilage rates develop trailer temperature protocol in
monitoring temps and given thresholds
Defined temperature trigger points
Based on defined thresholds develop stages of intervention and
required decision points
End to end t monitoring - Rules based
control and monitoring systems
Apply temperature and quality protocol in monitoring trailer temps
during pre-chill, loading, staging, and delivery cycles
Suitable staff training
Revise cold chain (HACCP and Quality Management System based) training
for associates
Self and third-party audits
Periodic monitoring of the system in assessing how the system is
performing as planned and required
A formalized validation process
assuring the process works
Actual monitoring, validation and quantification of how well the system
works and what adjustments are needed in bringing system in line with
established standards
Protocols and Product Standards

12. Initiative Now Next Later Impact
Fix what is wrong
Develop Cold Chain policy and product
standards – how does product behave in
real life operating conditions – for all
seasons
Develop temperature performance index
Design and implement rules based
temperature monitoring
Selected training at management and
hourly levels
Review fleet utility and rationalize size –
with a process in place and asset
productivity improved other
Develop audit to validate index
Protocols and Product Standards

13. Temperature as a Quality Control Point
• Single point readings are irrelevant
• Average temperature readings are irrelevant
• Cumulative temperatures matter most
>50 A A A A A A
50 C A A A A A
48 G C C A A A
46 G C C C A A
44 G G C C C C
42 G G G G G C
39 - 41 G G G G G G
36 - 38 G G G G G G
Hours 2 4 6 8 10 12
Illustration Only
G = Good – optimal quality
C = Compromised – quality issue
A = Adulterated – food safety risk
Protocols and Product Standards

14. Canary in the Mine
• Can‟t focus on everything
• Understand sensitivities of selected
products or product families
• Use one or two product families for
guidance in determining thresholds
or „cold chain specs‟

15. Where is the Canary?

16. Evaluating and Assessing Trends

17. • There is often resistance to cold chain issues
• Once issues are identified…what to do?
• What is the cost-benefit in fixing
Cold Chain Evaluation

18. • Rising consumer complaints
• Need to set standards against product quality thresholds
• Need to monitor the standard
• Need for predictive capabilities in eliminating problems
before they arise
• Capability to measure and control the cold chain
Cold Chain Evaluation

19. How to evaluate cold chains in
assessing trends and weaknesses
Need to look at Cold Chains in Totality

20. How to evaluate cold chains in
assessing trends and weaknesses
Understanding the entire cold chain doesn‟t stop at delivery

21. How to evaluate cold chains in
assessing trends and weaknesses
Even with the best monitoring things can wrong without being noticed

22. If you could, would you have a manager ride along the cold
chain, with a cell phone, reporting back critical operational data?
Who would be that manager?
 Trailer Temperature
 Temperature Profile
 Product Quality Behavior
 Reefer Mode
 Reefer Set Point
 Supply Air
 Return Air
 Product Temperature
 Door Open or Close
 Reefer Alarms
 Location

23. Poor cold chain management has a direct
influence on cost and product quality
Refrigerated trucks ready for loading

24. Refrigerated dock design
to minimize energy and
temperature loss
This is an excellent option in minimizing
energy while maintaining product temps

25. Raising storage temperatures to save
energy: Is it worth it in the long-run?
• Raising the holding temperature and reducing the heat gain through the walls
due to a reduced temperature differential inside to outside.
• With 4” of insulation, raising the temperature will decrease the conduction into the
facility by 2%. The impact or change in effect of infiltration would be minimal with
a 5 deg. change so was not considered at this time.
• Thus providing a 2% energy savings on a “peak differential day”
• Raising the holding temperature, thereby allowing a reduction in compressor
suction temperature
• if the compressor suction can be raised a corresponding 5 deg. then depending
on the system, there will be a reduction of 8-9% of required compressor brake-
horsepower
• Kraft Foods engineers claim a 2% savings for every 1 psi increase. At these
temps we are about 4.5 psi increase, so this is a second validation of the 8-9%
savings.
• Installing Variable Speed Drives
• If the roofing is black, change to a reflective coating
• This will reduce the heat gain through the roof
• Can reduce the temperature of the air being drawn across the condenser coils

26. The focus on cold chain management improves the scientific basis for safety and control
processes. Monitoring of temperature in a proprietary way is done by using indicators that
can be measured easily, such as cumulative average ambient temperatures. This focus on
measurable indicators provides a more cost-effective approach to control than product
sampling and testing, which is more expensive and may not provide timely results. This is
especially important for foodborne microbial pathogens, because their incidence is low and
costs of testing are high.
To meet the goals of processors, retailers and the consumer, temperature standards must be
set to accommodate accurate product behavior over extended periods. Once established,
these standards can be measured in innovative ways that convert data into meaningful and
actionable information in better controlling processes. Setting product temperature
standards and measuring in innovative ways allow greater efficiency in meeting processors,
retailers and public health goals.
Cold Chain management is evolving into a regulatory tool, but more importantly, into a
supplier and retailer specific requirement. The reason is that it overcomes and solves for
the high information costs of setting and enforcing standards for microbial foodborne
pathogens. These information costs contribute to the market failure in food safety provision
and make design of effective interventions difficult. Moreover, a cold chain standard has
been proven to actually reduce food safety risks. It is an effective and useful performance
standard.
Epilogue

27. The Integrated Food Chain Research Center

28. Thank You
Nick Pacitti – npacitti@sterlingsolutions.net
330-217-8005
www.ifc.scl.gatech.edu
www.sterlingsolutions.net