25 February 2019

New smart label for temperature control of fruits and vegetables

The Spanish Federation of Associations of Export Producers of Fruit, Vegetables, Flowers and Live Plants (FEPEX) has created a solution to control the temperature of fruit and vegetable products. This is Thermolabel, a label capable of controlling the cold chain of these products during transport and logistics. Thanks to this label it will be possible to identify pallets and boxes that have suffered a break in the cold chain.

As perishable products, fruit and vegetables need special conditions during transport and logistics. One of the most important needs to guarantee the quality of these products is to maintain a certain temperature in a constant manner. This is called maintaining the cold chain.

This project, carried out in collaboration with Thermolabel Technology SL, Medalchemy, Bonnysa Agroalimentaria and the University of Valencia, aims to improve food safety and guarantee shipments with maximum health guarantees.

The CCQI standard controls product quality through indicators and preventive measures throughout the cold chain of perishable and temperature-sensitive products. In order to obtain this standard, the transport company plays a fundamental role through its quality policy. The use of vehicles, tanks, packaging and other special means is key to guaranteeing the cold chain. However, having a label to ensure that the cold chain does not break was necessary to eliminate unjustified claims.

Currently, the fruit and vegetable sector loses around 5% of annual exports due to cold chain breakage claims. 650 million in 2018. The application of the Thermolabel label will make it possible to verify the temperature to which fruit, vegetables and other perishable products have been subjected. In other words, this label will provide a thermographic ID that would guarantee the quality and useful life of the product.

Spanish fruit and vegetable exports grew by 4.4% in volume in 2018 and by 0.4% in value compared to the previous year, reaching 12,832 million euros. Andalusia, Valencia and Murcia are the main autonomous regions for fruit and vegetable exports.

Source: fepex.es