Is there a new supply chain bottleneck looming in perishable maritime trades? As the longstanding lack of investment in conventional reefer capacity shows no sign of changing, and container carriers appear to have placed an unofficial moratorium on reefer box investment until their $1,000-plus per container general rate increase has become widely accepted throughout global markets, there is the growing possibility that shippers could find capacity increasingly scarce. In an irony that will not b...

The cut-flower supply chain is seeing a fundamental shift, as retailers trying to maintain or increase sale values are moving from a ‘push’ to a ‘pull’ model, with Bama Groupen, Norway’s largest private distributor of fruit and vegetables, leading the charge. The value of Africa’s cut flower sales to Europe amounts to some $500m – but about 20% of the value is wasted through poor temperature control along supply chains, a loss of $100m for retailers. “One quarter of the shipments from Kenya may ...

During 2011-12, India produced about 127 million tonnes of milk, but the country has an estimated 70,000-80,000 tonnes of proper milk storage capacity. In 2011, India’s vegetables output was about 147 million tonnes, accounting for nearly 11 per cent of the world’s vegetable production. But here also the available cold chain capacity, a key requirement to stem wastage and enhance quality, is hardly 9 million tonnes.

The temperature-sensitive logistics market is in a state of flux and there are many more questions than answers at the 12th annual Cool Chain Logistics Europe 2013 in Basel, Switzerland, the center of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Europe.  There is no doubt the cold chain is evolving to include every range of temperature control, with a special focus on Controlled Room Temperature (CRT) for drug maker’s ambient products. A quick poll of the IQPC event audience revealed many end users and ...

Airlines and forwarders are introducing increasingly sophisticated pharma logistics products in response to new legislation and surging demand – but as sea freight options also try to gain a foothold in the market, competition is more intense than ever. Lured by potentially higher yields and solid demand, the air freight industry is gearing up for heavy competition on the increasingly regulated pharmaceuticals sector. Following the introduction of stricter rules on the transport of goods, includ...

Summary:  New report finds that improvements in border administration and transport & telecommunications infrastructure and services could result in an up to 4.7% increase in global GDP, far outweighing potential income gains from complete elimination of import tariffs.  Governments should take a holistic approach that considers the entire supply chain, focusing on all policies that impact supply chain efficiency to improve national competitiveness.  SME sector would witness i...

CCA Member Panalpina is urging its healthcare customers to share transport, while forging new intermodal routes for less urgent pharmaceutical shipments, in an attempt to cut shippers’ logistics bills. The first route, from Europe to countries in Latin America including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, will use air, road and ocean freight, while it is also working on an intermodal route from the US to Latin America. The initiative began a year ago, when Panalpina identified that pharmaceu...

It’s not all bad news coming from the icy reefer trades. The container industry’s doldrums are at least helping to introduce a little more South American colour to the wintry North European landscape. Rock bottom reefer rates have encouraged Colombian and Ecuadorean flower exporters to make the shift from air to sea transport on key long-haul trades, in particular South America to the UK and Russia.

The EHEC O104:H4 epidemic outbreak in Northern Germany in the spring of 2011 has shown the great vulnerability of the consumer to emerging pathogens having acquired a deadly combination of virulence factors and being introduced into the food chain through unexpected gateways. The observation that infected sprouted seeds were on the origin of the German outbreak and the French cluster of hemolytic uremic syndrome was crucial to implement the necessary control measures. Although EHEC O104:H4 has n...

This study highlights the losses occurring along the entire food chain, and makes assessments of their magnitude. Further, it identifies causes of food losses and possible ways of preventing them. The results of the study suggest that roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, which amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year.

CCA Member Thermo King has presented Staf with an Energy Efficiency Leader Award in recognition of Staf’s work implementing Thermo King’s cryogenics refrigeration system. In 2011 Staf piloted five trucks converted to use the new CryoTech refrigeration system with recycled R-744 refrigerant. The open-loop system reduces emissions and provides superior performance compared to conventional diesel-powered units. Staf has cut its CO2 emissions by approximately 44,560kg annually wi...

300+ Pharma Cool Chain Related Executives answered the questions in this survey (September 2012): Q: Which of these best represents the products that you are principally moving through your supply chain ? Branded Pharmaceuticals 29% Biopharmaceutical's 23% Healthcare Distribution (on behalf of one of the above) 16% Clinical Supplies and IMP’s 11% Other 11% Generics and OTC products 3% Q: What are the top 3 priorities in your temperature assured distribution supply chain ? Reduce or pre...

IAI Cold Chain Expo 2012 will focus on the rapidly growing Indian cold chain industry. The 6th IAI Expo in December 2011 drew more than 13.000 visitors and more than 170 exhibitors over 3 days. “It is a global platform that connects the world to the Indian Cold Chain Industry, a sector growing at an encouraging rate of 20-25 percent in India.

From next year it is mandatory for quoted companies in the UK to report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as part of the directors’ report. Under UK law six greenhouse gases are defined: CO2 (carbon dioxide), CH4 (methane), N2O (nitrous oxide), HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), PFCs (perfluorocarbons), and SF6 (sulphur hexafluoride). In order that transparent and comparable data can be produced and meaningful analysis carried out, all reporting will be in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), ...

Kuehne+Nagel and CSafe have signed an agreement to enhance Kuehne+Nagel’s pharmaceutical supply chain service. As part of the agreement, CSafe RKN will be added to Kuehne+Nagel’s health care product portfolio. Csafe president Brian Kohr said Csafe is “happy to provide services to Kuehne+Nagel for their expanded KN PharmaChain product offering.

TempTrip has introduced a new ‘one touch’ intelligent tag for its web-based, cold chain time/temperature monitoring system. TempTrip says the temperature tag makes food and pharmaceutical cold chain management simple, yet more “intelligent” than ever before.  The new ultra high frequency (UHF) radio identification tag will be shown for the first time at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit Expo, October 26-28, Anaheim, California. The new credit-card sized tag features a ta...

Airlines have permanently lost out to ocean container lines as box carriers grab an increasing share of the freight that was previously moved by air, according to logistics and cargo executives, reports the South China Morning Post. Alfred Hofmann, senior vice-president for sea freight in the Asia-Pacific at logistics giant Kuehne+Nagel, said the pharmaceutical industry and manufacturers of temperature-controlled products were at the “forefront of change” from airfreight to sea freight. “It’s a ...

CCA Member and Logistics and freight forwarding company Panalpina says its customers in the healthcare industry could make significant cost savings in their supply chains by working together, such as by sharing transport space. Companies are increasing R+D budgets while looking to make savings elsewhere and Panalpina has identified freight forwarding as one area where savings are available to the industry. Supply chain decision-makers from some the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies attend...

CCA Member Thermo King reports that refrigerated transport revenues declined in the third quarter of the year compared with last year as moderate growth in the Americas was more than offset by declines in European and Asian markets and unfavourable currency exchange rates, according to parent Ingersoll-Rand. Ingersoll-Rand senior vice president Steven Shawley said that “orders were flat versus last years third quarter”. Revenues were also down high-single digits (down low-single digits when excl...

Work is underway to extend the Cargolux warehouse in order to be able to safely move and store healthcare and pharmaceutical products. The 3,000 m2 warehouse expansion, which is due to be opened in Spring 2013, will enable the air freight firm to store temperature sensitive items while in transit. It will offer two temperature zones with permanent temperature monitoring, compliant with the global guidelines on the storage and distribution of medical products for human use.

The first Food Logistics Forum takes place on  20- 21 November at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The conference runs alongside three specialist food industry shows: Seafex, Speciality Food Festival, amd Sweets and Snacks Middle East. Dubai is the third largest re-exporter of food in the world and plays a critical role in the future growth of food logistics.

Shippers have lambasted the air freight industry for failing to engage with their ultimate customers. One large manufacturer, which spends about $450 million on air freight each year out of a total transport budget of some $2.8 billion, told: “We have never had an airline knock on our door. All they do is complain.

Author: JOHN MANNERS-BELL, CEO, TRANSPORT INTELLIGENCE LTD In October 2011, the United Nations estimated that the world's population had reached seven billion. This landmark event was accompanied by many warnings regarding the impact of over-population. Wars, hunger, water shortages and disease have been forecast by many commentators, should the number of people in the world continue to grow at its present rate.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority, Europe Container Terminals (ECT) and Kloosterboer have joined forces to develop Rotterdam Cool Port. Together, the companies will develop an intermodal hub for the transhipment and storage of temperature-controlled cargo such as fruit, meat and fish. The planned location for this hub is the Prins Willem Alexanderhaven on part of the current ECT City Terminal.

On Monday, October 8, 2012, AcuTemp announced the acquisition of CSafe from AmSafe Inc. and the merger of AcuTemp and CSafe into one company – CSafe. As a result of this merger, the new company will become the only global provider of a full line of cold chain solutions including packaging, passive systems, active systems, with both airline and non-airline approval, and will be the world’s largest producer of actively controlled mobile refrigeration units for life sciences, healthcare, military a...

South African citrous fruit shippers oppose the planned rate hike by AP Møller Maersk Group-controlled liner companies Maersk Line and Safmarine. The Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa said its carrying out an impact assessment on the planned increases. The association’s chief executive, Justin Chadwick said there was “no plausible explanation that warranted such an increase”, calling it “overzealous” and “somewhat flawed”.

The Global Cold Chain Alliance is to host the first International Course on Cold Chain Operations in Guatemala City. The course, which is being held in Guatemala City on 14 – 15 November at the Clarion Suites Hotel, will bring together local and international experts who will share their knowledge and experience in different fundamental operations on the cold chain. The objective is to provide an overview of the cold chain in the food industry: its importance, sensitivity, and special requi...

Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is to start redeveloping its distribution depot in Basingstoke in October. The first phase of works will involve providing a new building for chilled storage on adjacent land at Houndmills which was purchased from former fork-lift truck manufacturer Linde. Sainsbury’s expects this first phase to be completed by August 2013: the new chilled storage building should be operating in time for Christmas 2013.

CCA Member and Cool Chain Container company Envirotainer from Sweden has opened a new branch in Singapore to gain more access to the Asia Pacific pharmaceutical market. Envirotainer chief executive Gustaf Ljunggren says that Asia Pacific is currently the world’s fastest growing pharmaceuticals market. “Asia Pacific is expected to grow by 97% and account for 29% of global pharma sales by 2016” Ljunggren says.

The new German trailer manufacturer Burg Silvergreen showed its new reefer semi-trailer Reefer SR03 at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2012. The Reefer SR03 is based on an integrated chassis with a sliding plate at the neck.  ″We chose this construction because it is robust and long-lived and offers a lot of options to the customer″, says Paul Stempfle, director design and development, testing and homologation. Burg Silvergreen's new reefer semi-trailer Since driving force-related dynamics are ...

CCA Member Thermo King has launched an innovative zero emissions trailer fridge. The all-electric trailer refrigeration unit provides energy-efficient, sustainable transport for fresh and frozen applications. The all-electric refrigeration system has an advanced multi-functional power management system that takes power from any source and converts and conditions it to gain minimum energy consumption.

Exelsius, the international Cold Chain Management Consultancy, has once again teamed up with IQPC to deliver its acclaimed 2-­day training course – Good Transportation Practices for Air, Road and Ocean for Temperature‐Sensitive Healthcare Products.  To be held in conjunction with IQPC’s 10th annual Cold Chain & Temperature Management Forum in Chicago September 24‐28 2012, the course will be of significant interest to all stakeholders in the logistics supply chain for temperature-sensiti...

A breakdown of the cold chain was implicated in the deaths of 128 children in India vaccinated in 2010. Since then, three major developments have occurred. Most temperature-controlled distribution channels operate effectively, but when a major breakdown in a cold chain causes widespread illness or even death, it can bring a higher level of public scrutiny to your supply chain.  Incidents like the deaths of 128 children in India caused regulatory agencies throughout the world to reexamine ph...

As part of its KN PharmaChain product, Kuehne + Nagel has introduced newly developed active wireless sensors which record and transmit the temperature of pharmaceutical airfreight shipments along the entire supply chain. The use of active wireless sensors is a major achievement in the segment of seamless airfreight cold chains for pharmaceutical products. Generally, security rules prohibit the active use of mobile sensors during air transport.

Background Today the air cargo industry is using the IATA Perishable Cargo Regulations (PCR) as the essential reference guide for all parties involved in the packaging and handling of perishables for air transportation. Chapter 17 “Air Transport Logistics for Time and Temperature Sensitive Healthcare Products” in the PCR specifically addresses the temperature control management issues identified by the industry.  This Chapter provides the requirements for the transportation of time and temp...

Cold-chain services to global biopharma will be a $7.6-billion industry in 2013, rising to $8.9 billion in 2016 Latest forecast from Pharmaceutical Commerce sees 37% growth between 2010-2013; delays in biosimilars commercialization will hamper future growth The 3rd annual Biopharma Cold Chain Sourcebook, a market study and guidance resource of this fast-evolving market pioneered by Pharmaceutical Commerce, has just been published. Factoring in global trends in pharmaceutical manufacturing and di...

Overall global demographic developments have a big impact on economics and therefore on trade and transport flows. This will bring opportunities mainly for emerging economies and challenges for mature economies, especially for Europe, where the population is aging.  DEMOGRAPHICS Food sustainability By 2050 there will be more than 9 billion people on this planet. Taken into account the current and future economic shift where emerging economies will mature and therefore global wealth will inc...

Cargo carrier steps up investment in business with temperature-sensitive freight Lufthansa Cargo began operations today at its new facility for temperature-sensitive freight in Frankfurt. The Lufthansa Cargo Cool Center was built in the space of just six months. It is equipped with four cool storage rooms for four different temperature ranges as well as a deep-freezer cell on an area of 4,500 square metres.

We did it! Last month – November 2011 – planet Earth’s population increased to over 7 billion people. A stunning figure, considering – in a historic time span - the “short” time it has taken to get from 1 million to that 7 billion.

The Cool Chain Industry in India, despite Governmental initiatives and intervention, is at a nascent stage. The Government has announced a slew of fiscal initiatives, including Capital gap funding and excise (VAT) exemptions on Capital goods such as Air-conditioning and Conveyor Belts, in an attempt to attract investments and modernise this Infrastructure sub-sector. For the Fiscal year ending 31st March, 2011, the Government has accorded approval for 107 Cold Storage facilities, with an aggrega...

The overall conclusion of this report by Dutch Rabobank is that the current global food system is on an unsustainable track, which poses a threat to long-term global food security. The global food system needs to be transformed in order to secure the long-term food supply.  The pathway is variable, might be radical and coordinated action at many levels by multiple partners is needed in order to establish the conditions required to move global growth of food supply towards a more sustainable...

Because of lack of cold chain infrastructure and also a food processing industry about 20 per cent of all foods produced in India (Rs. 500 b) are wasted.  India can become the food supplier of the world. It has the cultivable land, all the seasons for production of all varieties of fruits and vegetables, an agribusiness system that works although it needs to be vastly improved.

Imagine arriving at an airport to board a flight. You approach the check-in desk. You are asked the normal questions about your baggage.

An interesting study conducted for the International Congress on Global food losses and food waste.

There have been many ups and downs in the air cargo industry over the past two years, but there’s one trend that appears to be here to stay: the continued growth of cold chain cargo. There are several types of products that require cold chain or temperature-sensitive shipping, including perishables such as flowers and food. The biggest cold chain growth, however, is coming from the healthcare industry.

New member at large on the CCA board The Board is happy to inform you about the appointment of Mr. Edwin Kalischnig, CEO of Xtreme Technologies B.V. as Member at Large.  Edwin Kalischnig has been a friend and follower of the CCA since 2004 and became a member in 2006 in his position as RFID Business Development Director at Oracle Corporation.

“From Field to Fork”  CCA workshop2010 at Hotel vineyards, Cape Town, South Africa By Kerstin Belgardt, Secretary The CCA is proud to report that the workshop2010 “from field to fork” was concluded after two days intensive working in groups and high quality discussions of the audience. The industry relevant companies of the South African cool supply chain gathered to listen to the decision maker of CCG Cool Chain Group, Capespan, Maersk, NYKCool and many others. “We had a lot of business kn...

Trust - Your Most Important Quality By Edwin W. Kalischnig - CEO of Xtreme Technologies BV “Trust is a statement about what is otherwise unknown - for example, because it is far away, cannot be verified, or is in the future”. Every day millions of people around the globe eat food or take their drugs, trusting on the purity and quality of the product and the Brands behind them.

Emirates SkyCargo, the cargo division of Emirates airline, and DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight forwarder of Deutsche Post DHL, will partner to drive the e-freight agenda across their networks, to become the industry leaders in implementation. Both companies recognise the strategic value of e-freight; working in an electronic environment will bring enhanced operational efficiency and improvement to the supply chain. E-freight is an industry-led project involving carriers, freight...

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers can save money on cold chain transport through reusable solutions and closed-loop or reverse logistics programs.  The current economic challenges have caused dramatic budget impacts, and nearly every industry and organization has felt the pressure of the current crisis. As operating costs continue to rise, budgets continue to shrink. Whether it is in highly critical research and development or in ongoing marketing and delivery, the impact has b...