Today, fresh produce is sourced from across the globe. Whether it's cut flowers from Colombia or frozen prawns from Thailand, the cold chain is under increasing pressure to perform more efficiently, both to meet the demands of the giant retailers and to enhance the margins of all concerned. Just-in time supply, continuous replenishment, reduced wastage and field-to-shelf visibility are critical challenges facing the industry. How are producers and suppliers responding ? What do they expect from their logisitics and transport providers ?



The single most important aspect of the cold chain is the control of temperature. The industry demands an accurate, reliable, easy-to-use, and cost-effective means to verify that their produce has been stored and transported at the correct temperature.

With its 8,000 log memory, LogTag provides ample capacity to record time and temperature for the longest delivery. LogTag's external sensor is highly responsive to minor changes in temperature, and the Alarm function provides the receiver with instantaneous warning of a temperature violation. The entire 8,000 time and temperature readings can be downloaded to a PC or hand held Evaluator in under 5 seconds for detailed analysis. Last but not least, the competitive pricing of Logtag brings a true "single-trip" logger within reach of the industry.

Most visible at the start of the food supply Cold Chain are the farmers and growers. Over the past few years, many advances have been made in the development of farms and packhouses, enabling produce to be harvested and stored quickly and efficiently. Hydro-cooling systems and chilled water plants maintain consistently low temperatures so that when the produce is taken from the cold store, it is not damaged by fluctuation in temperature. LogTag provides the supplier and customer with cheap and effective validation of process and storage temperatures.

With increasing outbreaks of virulent diseases worldwide, the rapid and reliable distribution of vaccines assumes major importance. However, many vaccines are sensitive to temperature fluctuations and can be seriously damaged if not stored and transported within the approved temperature range. Once potency has been lost through exposure to heat or cold, it cannot be regained by returning the vaccine to the recommended storage temperature. In many cases, even when the vaccine has been irreversibly damaged, there is no change in its external appearance.

How can the user be confident that the vaccine they are administering will be effective ? LogTag provides the answer. A compact LogTag temperature datalogger packed with the vaccines gives the user a complete time and temperature record of the shipment, providing confidence that the vaccine will be effective. The small size and light weight of LogTag mean that maximum space is available for vaccines in the container.

Alarm settings can be easily set to suit the requirements of different types of vaccine, and the LogTag will provide instant visual warning via a flashing red light if an alarm condition has occurred. This feature is especially important when shipping vaccines to third world countries who may not have easy access to a PC to download a detailed time and temperature report.

Transfusion Authorities in Europe and the United States recognise the critical importance of monitoring temperature of blood, blood components and organs during storage and transportation. Essential features required by Transfusion Authorities can be summarised as:-

Ease of use- With its user-friendly Windows software, LogTag is quick and easy to programme with sampling frequency, temperature range and alarm limits. Where multiple trips are required, the settings can be stored in the despatch PC, and simply downloaded to the LogTag for each new trip.

Once programmed, LogTag is activated by simply pressing a button. A flashing green light confirms activation. This means that multiple Logtag dataloggers can be programmed in advance, but only activated when actually packed. As an added safety feature, if the packer forgets to press the start button, LogTag will record temperature readings according to the factory-set parameters.

Rapid readout of data on arrival. Logtag provides information in two ways:-

• If an Alarm violation has occurred, a flashing red light provides instant warning.

• A full 8,000 time/temperature data logs can be downloaded to a PC in under five seconds, providing a virtually instantaneous record of the shipment.

Compact Size. LogTag's credit-card sized case makes it ideally suited for packing between the blood bag and satellite bags.

Low cost. LogTag is the most cost-effective electronic datalogger on the market

LogTag Temperature dataloggers are ideal for HVAC system verification and trouble-shooting. Multiple LogTag dataloggers are cheaper and more versatile than a single conventional multi-channel logger, and can be set up on site in a fraction of the time required for competing monitoring systems. The external sensor provides sensitive and responsive performance, and temperature records can be downloaded in a few seconds for immediate analysis.