INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
CONTRIBUTORS
Advanced temperature tracking to modernise Africa ' s cold chain logistics By Global Cold Chain Alliance( GCCA) director for Africa Paul Matthew Assurance of temperature throughout a product’ s journey is fundamental to the crucial role of the cold chain in the availability of
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temperature-sensitive product’ s journey can span continents, incorporate transitions between multiple warehouses and vehicles and include customs procedures. With the everpresent scope for unexpected change or delay- this temperature assurance is no mean feat. Africa’ s food logistics leaders are making advantageous use of the modern technologies which enable advanced temperature tracking and reporting.
Small customisable devices which facilitate advanced temperature tracking of products are providing valuable temperature visibility throughout the entire supply chain. Today’ s tracking devices can also help reduce incidences of temperature breaches and product loss, for example through alerts when a product has exceeded a pre-set temperature range.
RANGE OF TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS
An attractive benefit of end-to-end temperature tracking is the ability to analyse the data to help improve operations. Analysing the data over time can also facilitate predictive analytics, and consequently, data-driven decision making about the logistics operation as a whole.
Spot tracking technology collects temperature data at the beginning and end of the delivery, while data recording tracking devices collect data at intervals of time. The latter can be customised based on a safe, quality, affordable food and medicines.
customer’ s needs, with visibility of data in a user portal. Generally, the most advanced tracking is available through real-time devices which continuously monitor temperature and send immediate alerts if the temperature is outside the acceptable range. These devices can enable temperature-controlled logistics operators to address any issues timeously, substantially reducing the risk of product losses. Utilising advanced temperature tracking equipment such as these can also bring a range of other major advantages for Africa’ s food logistics operators and their customers. End-toend temperature visibility allows operators to spot opportunities to reduce lead times and to identify and mitigate risk points. It gives crucial quality assurance, demonstrating that the cold chain has been successfully and continually maintained. The reporting and sharing of this information gives confidence as well as demonstrating compliance.
Technologies that provide real-time data can also provide live reporting and immediate management, enabling action to be taken at once should a temperature excursion occur. It can also support security through instant notifications of unauthorised handling or tampering. Access to real-time cold chain data provides the chance to take real-time action.
GCCA members in Africa recently identified an industry need for solutions to help address issues related to temperature assurance and demonstration. These include instances of frozen proteins being delivered to cold stores not at the required temperatures, and situations where state veterinarians have condemned products imported into South Africa due to temperature increases in the container while at sea. There is currently no effective method used by South Africa’ s state veterinarians to verify the reefer ' s last recorded temperature, and obtaining temperature reports from shipping liners can be a lengthy and expensive process.
Application of advanced tracking and monitoring could help address challenges such as these and I am pleased to be working with GCCA member OkGo( an Internet of Things and AI tech company that specialises in supply chain visibility solutions) on its pilot project to monitor temperatures in near real-time while shipments from Europe to South Africa are in transit. I look forward to sharing the results with you when the project completes, to help inform your temperature-tracking decisions.
The availability and adoption of accurate, real-time tracking technologies has also prompted global discussion about the potential for substantial carbon and costs savings through a reduction of margins for error in frozen food logistics temperature control.
Products are typically stored and transported at a temperature that includes several degrees allowance to mitigate potential lapses in temperature integrity. Having far greater surety
( from tracking data) that the targeted temperature is being effectively and continuously maintained would substantially reduce the need to allow for possible Paul Matthew, director of GCCA Africa. temperature fluctuations. Reducing this allowance, even by one or two degrees, in frozen food supply chains across the world, would result in a major energy efficiency improvement and associated cost and carbon savings.
Achieving this ambition will be challenging but it is highly positive that discussions, research and trials are underway among global stakeholders about how today’ s technologies could allow an updated approach to frozen temperature set-points. CLA
At time of writing, we are just days away from the GCCA Africa Conference 2025, taking place in Durban. I look forward to writing about the key themes and discussions from the conference in the next issue of Cold Link Africa.
Image supplied by GCCA
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