How To Achieve Cold Chain Management With Ease & Comfort
Cold chain in the simplest term refers to a temperature-managed supply chain. An untarnished cold chain is an uninterrupted collection of storage and distribution processes that maintain a certain range of temperature. It is mainly utilized to assist in extending and guaranteeing the shelf life of goods that are shipped and exported to distant places. Goods that are distributed through this method vary immensely from agricultural products, seafood, frozen food, photo films and even pharmaceutical products such as vaccines.
The refrigerated or temperature-controlled shipping has grown over the y ears and as a result of the competition between companies that provide cold chain distribution services, the technology continues to advance. Cold chain management is especially useful in vaccine administration. Plasma transportation and protection of sensitive electronic equipment and components such as fuses and microchips.
These are a few out of the crucial need for reliable chain distribution. The service that companies that are into this system provide are invaluable.
Different products have different temperature requirements. For vaccines, the universally agreed-upon storage temperature ranges form 2 to 8 degree Celsius. The standards and requirements for these products must be maintained throughout the entire delivery process or the consequences could be disastrous. Hence, there is a vital need for temperature controlled packaging and companies that specialize not only in the development of this type of packaging but in the specific methods of transportation involved in the delivery of temperature-sensitive items.
Factors to be considered for effective cold chain management
For the reasons described above, there is the need to have the perfect knowledge about how to achieve cold chain distribution system. Before deciding on what methods to adopt in achieving this, the factors mentioned below are to be considered.
- The type of business: As stated above, a pharmaceutical company will have different needs that fruit company and this needs to be factored in.
- How safe and secure are the procedures involved in the cold chain management systems?
- The level of skill required. Can lower-skilled employees understand how to use the system in place?
- What is the cost of operating the system? Can existing equipment be used or is new and expensive equipment are required?
- Does this system comply with regulations from government agencies such as FDA?
How to implement the distribution system
Once the questions above are answered satisfactorily, implementing the system flawlessly is what is left. Cold chain management may occur with the use of technologies such as: dry ice, gel packs, eutectic plates, liquid nitrogens, quilts or temperature-controlled containers. A logistical process can be established to ensure shipment integrity. To do this, one must take into account the following:
- How the shipment will be prepared?
- How the shipment will travel?
- What types of customs procedures the shipment may have to clear?
- The actual delivery of the products to the customers and Recording of temperature anomalies.
Documentation of temperature in a cold chain is also necessary to establish confidence between shipper and receiver. This is to ensure that there was no change in temperature throughout the process. Cold chains are useful and practical for many different purposes. Thus, to manage a cold chain takes time and effort to ensure that there is no degradation of quality throughout the process of transport from shipping point to destination. With the right controls, it is possible to ensure that there is no degradation of quality in the shipment.