PROVE IT: COLD CHAIN AUDIT CHECKLIST Cold chain shippers and third-party logistics (3PL) providers understand the importance of visibility into temperature-controlled shipments from the point of origin to final delivery. A documented audit of data collected by temperature loggers throughout a cold chain shipment’s journey is the best way to share that visibility with your supply chain partners. There’s much to track regarding cold chain management and the handling, transportation, and distribution of temperature-controlled food. Tive, a provider of cold chain temperature tracking solutions, offers the following checklist to help you prepare for a cold chain audit. Some of these items pertain directly to shippers, while others are for your supply chain partners. Sharing this checklist with them ensures they can be ready for an audit, as well. ( ) Collaborate with 3PL and carrier partners to implement written procedures regarding temperature handling and sanitation practices. ( ) Use a data logger to record data related to temperature- sensitive products, and be sure its placed correctly. ( ) Ensure temperature measuring equipment is correctly calibrated and recorded. ( ) Ensure in-transit and storage temperatures remain in the acceptable range, and are recorded appropriately. ( ) Create and maintain a repository of temperature profiles for past loads. ( ) Ensure proper segregation of raw foods and ready-to-eat foods. Maintain records of all invoices and shipper-to-carrier agreements for at least 12 months. ( ) Develop processes to manage temperature variations that may occur during loading and unloading. ( ) Ensure drivers and warehouse personnel receive thorough training regarding refrigeration units and loading/ unloading processes for temperature-sensitive foods. ( ) Upon delivery, ensure any affected cold chain items are quarantined and discarded to prevent unsafe products from reaching consumers. ( ) Report any incidents of temperature excursions to the manufacturer and other supply chain stakeholders as soon as possible. ( ) Ensure all supply chain partners—including suppliers, warehouse personnel, and carriers—can assure the integrity of the cold chain throughout transport.
into cardboard boxes insulated with Styrofoam. Dippin’ Dots ships from distribution centers in Paducah and Lancaster, California. How much dry ice goes into each box depends on how far the product will travel. “Sometimes we even ship all the way to Alaska or Hawaii from California, which will take 10 to 14 days,” says Doug Barwig, the company’s vice president of operations. Those shipments go by barge from California or Seattle. Such long transits are especially challenging in summer. But Dippin’ Dots doesn’t use refrigerated transport. “We have found that the dry ice method works wonderfully,” Barwig says. Nor does the company monitor the product’s temperature en route. Knowing how easily a delay could ruin the product, most carriers who handle the final-mile deliveries jump in to help if they get an e-mail saying that a shipment is running late. “When a shipment is delayed on Friday for some reason, and they have someone working on Saturday, they’ll deliver it for us on Saturday without extra charges, ” Barwig says. For most of its major accounts, such as movie theater chains and theme park companies, Dippin’ Dots provides freezers and delivers directly to the point of sale. Franchisees receive their product in wholesale quantities and distribute it to retail locations themselves. “Dippin’ Dots franchisees buy extra dry ice from us so they can run those routes,” Barwig says. Some install generators to power freezers on their trucks, but there is a limit to how much product they can carry that way. Insulation and dry ice also make it possible for Dippin’ Dots to sell online and ship directly to consumers. While it takes precise planning and execution to deliver those frozen treats, it also takes coordination, communication, and suitable technology all along the cold chain to keep perishable foods in optimal condition for consumers to enjoy. n
December 2022 • Inbound Logistics 37
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