Tag: Pharma

Cool Chain Association releases perishables best practice video and launches new pharma trial

The association presented findings from its raspberry and cut-flower field-to-market trials at Airfreight Pharma and announced a new pharmaceuticals trial with CCA member Lamprecht

Athens, Greece, Thursday 21st September 2023: The Cool Chain Association (CCA) launched a best practice video for perishables handling at Airfreight Pharma today (21st September), based on key findings from recent trials by CCA member Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB).

The educational video presents learnings from PPECB’s two perishables trials, which examined pain points in the transportation of raspberries and cut flowers from South Africa to the UK and Europe, and advises optimal handling procedures to protect product integrity and maximise shelf-life.

With these key objectives in mind, the video explores various stages of the perishables chain, highlighting good agricultural practices, requirements surrounding fresh air ventilation and taint, and recommendations for thermal protection of perishable products, including cartons, packaging, and labelling.

The guidance also covers optimal aircraft loading and transport procedures, and cold storage and pre-cooling of perishable products, offering advice on specific temperatures found to be optimal during trials.

“We have taken the results of our recent flower and raspberry trials and put them into a practical format to enable the entire industry to benefit from these learnings,” said Vijan Chetty, CCA Board Director and General Manager, PPECB at Airfreight Pharma.

“By adopting these optimal practices, the industry can hope to address the vast waste that occurs in the perishables supply chain.”

Following the success of its perishables trials and resulting best practice video, the CCA believes further research and trials are called for.

The CCA announced that it will partner with member Lamprecht Pharma Logistics AG (Lamprecht) to launch a new trial following pharmaceuticals shipments.

“Lamprecht Pharma Logistics will head up a pharmaceuticals trial with the CCA to track the most critical parts of the pharmaceutical supply chain, identifying pain points to further optimise performance,” said Felix Johannes, Commercial Representative Operations, Lamprecht.

The new trial will launch in the fourth quarter of 2023.

To view the best practise video, click here.

(Left to right) Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman, CCA, and Global Product Manager, Cargolux Airlines; Felix Johannes, Commercial Representative Operations, Lamprecht; Vijan Chetty, CCA Board Director and General Manager, PPECB.

(Left to right) Vijan Chetty, CCA Board Director and General Manager, PPECB; Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman, CCA and Global Product Manager, Cargolux Airlines; Fabrizio Iacobacci, CCA Board Director andChief of Innovation and Operations Officer, BCUBE Air Cargo Spa; Miguel Rodríguez Moreno, CCA Treasurer and Head of Cargo Products, Qatar Airways.

Cool Chain Association welcomes two new members ahead of Airfreight Pharma

The association welcomed new members Lamprecht Pharma Logistics and Logfret to its growing organisation

Luxembourg, Thursday 8th June 2023: Switzerland-based Lamprecht Pharma Logistics and France-based Logfret have become the latest members to join the Cool Chain Association (CCA).

Lamprecht Pharma Logistics, a logistics solution provider for pharmaceuticals, and Logfret, an international freight forwarding company offering digital solutions, both have a dedicated focus on optimising cool chain solutions within their supply chains.

“Lamprecht Pharma Logistics and Logfret bring a wealth of experience in managing cold chain risk which aligns with the CCA’s mission to improve the temperature-controlled supply chain,” said Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman, CCA.

“They have joined us at an exciting time with our organisation spearheading Technical Committee projects and bringing to life events that have been in the pipeline, to make greater strides within the industry.

“We look forward to taking our collaboration with them to the next level.”

Logfret has developed a digital freight solution, NEOLink, that allows its users to request and receive multiple rate quotes, track shipments online, analyse metrics, and view inventory in real time.

“By joining the CCA, Logfret envisions that the capabilities of NEOLink, Logfret, and other members will create a harmonious future through like-minded contributions to the industry, with the aligned goal of creating a more sustainable world,” said Marc Millet, CEO, Logfret.

Lamprecht Pharma Logistics offers comprehensive logistics solutions, including good distribution practice (GDP) warehousing, ambient and cool chain solutions, global GDP freight services by air, truck, sea, and courier, as well as data logger management.

“We believe that improving the supply chain and focusing on our environmental impact can only happen through mutual exchange and collaboration,” said Gian Alessi,  Managing Director, Lamprecht Pharma Logistics.

“It is through the CCA that we hope to contribute our part towards a better society.“

Together with member PPECB, the CCA recently contributed to an outline of best handling practices of perishables off the back of a trial tracking fresh raspberries from a South African farm to supermarkets in the UK.

Later in the year, the CCA will be hosting a panel session at Airfreight Pharma, taking place in Athens, Greece, from the 20th to the 22nd September.

The conference will bring together stakeholders across the Pharma industry to discuss and share insights around best handling procedures of pharmaceutical products.

Cool Chain Association identifies avoidable supply chain pain points in its second tracking trial of perishables

The trial undertaken by CCA member the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) is part of an ongoing project to develop best handling practice guidelines for perishables

Munich, Germany, Tuesday 9th May 2023:  The Cool Chain Association (CCA)’s second tracking trial of perishables undertaken by its member the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) has identified significant areas where action can be taken to reduce food loss.

PPECB tracked consignments of raspberries, which have a very low shelf life, from South Africa to the UK as part of an ongoing project with the CCA to identify pain points in the cool supply chain in order to develop best handling practices for perishables.

Results announced at the CCA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) today suggest that the cut-to-cool time, taken to bring the berries down to a temperature of around 5 ̊C, should be reduced to within 60 minutes of harvest to better maintain berry quality during storage.

In addition the trial indicated that a lower air temperature of 0 ̊C rather than the current 2 ̊C should be used for blast cooling.

Owing to their highly limited shelf-life, raspberries can only be transported by airfreight, but their delicate nature makes them prone to damage en route.

The goal of the trial is to optimise produce quality in the market by adapting current handling processes and bringing airfreight cold chain management protocols up to the same standard as those for sea freight.

The trial followed an export of raspberries from a farm in Cape Town, South Africa, where some 85 percent of raspberries are produced for the export market, to the United Kingdom.

“Approximately 30 percent of all berry exports from South Africa to market have quality defects,” said Vijan Chetty, General Manager, PPECB and Board of Director, CCA.

“In order to mitigate this food loss, we need further research and trials into how handling practices can be optimised.

“The results of our two trials have already highlighted several actionable measures that can be taken to protect product integrity and our continued research will help the CCA to hone a best practise framework to prevent spoilage and waste in the perishables supply chain,” said Chetty.

The trial assessed a number of factors including the quality of raspberries on the farm, temperature management throughout the trade lane, handling processes, and a final quality evaluation on arrival at the end destination.

Temperature fluctuations in the packhouse, in flight, and at the destination handling facility, while unavoidable, should be significantly reduced in duration to further minimise the incidence of quality defects.

Future research will see timed temperature tolerance trials performed to determine the duration of exposure to a particular temperature beyond which berry quality and shelf life are compromised.

Additional investigation to measure the internal temperature of the fruit, which changes more rapidly than external air temperature, may also be conducted, as well as deeper research into handling protocol upon arrival.

In March, the CCA was involved in a similar perishables study with the PPECB, monitoring the farm-to-table export of cut flowers from South Africa to Europe.

CCA’s next event will be as part of the Airfreight Pharma event in Athens, Greece from the 5th to the 7th of September.

PPECB’s in-house research department, which analyses quality and food safety standards is working with CCA to develop a body of data to be used to suggest best practices for the perishables supply chain.

Temperature Controlled Logistics in Biopharmaceuticals Europe 2023

Exploring Best Practice: Industry Regulations, & More

The Temperature Controlled Logistics in Biopharmaceuticals Europe 2023 conference will be taking place in Milan on the 15th – 16th March.

The 19th edition of this key industry event will address the leading industry issues in a focused and productive setting. Delegates will gain access to real solutions to the challenges they face in cold chain and temperature-controlled logistics.

COOL CHAIN ASSOCIATION WELCOMES FOUR NEW MEMBERS AS IT APPOINTS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ AS TREASURER

Brussels Airport, Boeing, SATS and Validaide are the latest members to join the growing organisation

Luxembourg, Tuesday 29th November 2022: The Cool Chain Association (CCA) has welcomed Brussels Airport, Boeing, SATS, and Validaide as members and appointed Miguel Rodríguez, Senior Manager Climate Control Products, Qatar Airways, as Treasurer.

The Association, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary, continues to grow with the vision of facilitating and enabling collaboration, education, and innovation in the temperature-sensitive supply chain amongst its members.

“CCA is focused on finding new ways to collaborate and back initiatives that deliver tangible results,” said Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman, Cool Chain Association.

“Our ideas are striking a chord with the industry, and we are pleased to welcome our four new members as part of our movement for change.”

Boeing has been working closely with CCA members and recently participated in the CCA’s Pharma Event in Athens, Greece, presenting a case study on the performance of its aircraft’s temperature-controlled capabilities for a consignment of flowers from South America to Europe.

“Boeing is committed to enhancing sustainability in Aviation and is enthusiastic about the opportunity for multiple Boeing organisations, including Boeing Commercial Airplanes – Advanced Concepts, Boeing Research & Technology – Applied Innovation, and Boeing Global Services to work more closely with the CCA and its member companies to achieve their shared goal of making the Cold Chain more sustainable,” said Aaron Black, Strategy Principal, Boeing.

Brussels Airport has re-joined the CCA after a short hiatus to support the organisation’s new drive to deliver programs with tangible results.

Sam Quintelier, Cargo Business Development Manager at Brussels Airport, attended the CCA’s AGM and Perishables event in Rome, Italy earlier this year to demonstrate the airport’s new Perishable Management App developed to tackle wastage, and increase transparency between airline cargo handlers, freight forwarders and authorities.

“Brussels Airport has decided to re-join the CCA as there is a need for more collaboration between stakeholders within the supply chain, specifically for fresh produce. Fresh produce and flowers do not always get the attention they deserve, and Brussels Airport wants to contribute in a positive way to improve that. We believe that the only way to handle these products more efficiently is by working together, so with the CCA we can make a difference,” said Quintelier.  

SATS is the chief ground handling and in-flight catering service provider at Singapore Changi Airport and has developed a Cargo Terminal Network that spans over 10 major locations, such as Hong Kong and Dammam, harnessing innovation, technologies, and talents to feed and connect communities in over 60 locations and 14 countries across the Asia Pacific, UK and the Middle East.

Validaide was founded in 2016 to support the logistics industry with digital solutions for lane risk assessments and supplier qualification.

“The CCA and Validaide share the same vision on the importance of collaboration, education, and innovation in the cold chain industry,” said Eelco De Jong, Co-founder and Managing Director, Validaide.

“It is important for us to remain engaged in data exchange and digital collaboration, having more than 1000 logistics providers on the Validaide platform. The planning of cold chain shipments requires significant information sharing, collaboration, documentation, and decision making across multiple companies. With Validaide we digitise this process for the benefit of all stakeholders, and we look forward to further accelerating this process in partnership with the CCA and its members.”

New treasurer Miguel Rodríguez brings over a decade of experience in air transport including senior roles in the temperature-controlled supply chain at Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.

“I take on this new challenge to further support the CCA in its mission to continue growing its membership base, attracting talented individuals who want to deliver and contribute to new projects, and providing the industry with solutions and guidance on cool chain transportation”, said Rodríguez.

He replaces Eric Mauroux, Founder and CEO of FreshBizDev, who has served as treasurer since 2018.

“CCA would like to take this opportunity of thanking Eric for his commitment and hard work over the last few years,” said Evangelakakis.

“We wish him the best for his FreshBizDev business and look forward to working with him again soon.”

CCA is currently looking for members to join its Board of Directors.

To find out more and apply, contact Ebele at cca@meantime.global.

Cool Chain Association celebrates its 20th anniversary and signs MoU with Perishable Products Export Control Board

The CCA and the Perishable Products Export Control Board will collaborate on perishables airfreight research initiatives as part of an ongoing drive to help improve the temperature-controlled supply chain

Athens, Greece, Wednesday 7th September 2022: The Cool Chain Association (CCA) is celebrating its 20th anniversary and entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB), which will see collaboration into research initiatives about airfreight of perishables.

CCA was established in 2002 to encourage collaboration in the temperature-controlled supply chain industry in order to reduce food loss and waste in the perishables sector as well as benefiting the pharma community.

The MoU, signed at the CCA’s Airfreight Pharma Event, means that CCA and the PPECB will collaborate on analysing research initiatives into perishable exports by air from South Africa.

“CCA is in a unique position to act as a neutral platform for all sectors in the temperature-controlled supply chain to collaborate on tangible initiatives,” said Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman, CCA, and Head of Global Healthcare, Cargolux Airlines.

“Our community is celebrating its 20th anniversary at a time when it is more vital than ever to come together to make a difference.

“We are proud that our members continue to do just that and are driving new ideas that will have a lasting legacy.”

CCA’s recent initiatives include the establishment of a Technical Committee to drive projects, which will benefit the cool supply chain, including a Risk Management project and a trial of a new perishables label.

The PPECB provides for the control of perishable products intended for export from the Republic of South Africa and has its own in-house research department, analysing quality and food safety standards.

“The primary aim of the research is to identify gaps in the airfreight value chain and discuss possible mitigation measures with CCA and the airfreight industry at large,” said Vijan Chetty, Board Member, CCA, and General Manager, PPECB.

“The aim is to strengthen standards and educate the role players in the airfreight industry.”

CCA has been steadily growing its membership over the last few months and is planning a new perishables conference for next year.

“Having had the honour of kicking off the creation of the association at TIACA’s Bilbao Air Cargo Forum, I am delighted to wish the Cool Chain Association a very Happy 20th Anniversary,” said Ram Menen, one of the founders of the CCA.

“It has been a real pleasure to watch this association bloom and go from strength to strength and I wish them continued success in the years to come.”

To find out more about joining CCA or taking part in a project for the Technical Committee, contact Ebele Nwakude at cca@meantime.global.

To find out more about the PPECB, visit ppecb.com.

COOL CHAIN ASSOCIATION WELCOMES TIVE TO ITS GROWING MEMBERSHIP ON THE EVE OF ITS PERISHABLES EVENT IN ROME 

Real time tracking solutions company Tive is the latest member to join the Association 

Luxembourg, Tuesday 28th June 2022 : The Cool Chain Association (CCA) has welcomed a new member, real-time tracking company Tive, to its growing membership as it prepares to host a two-day perishables summit in Rome, Italy on July 6th and 7th

Boston, USA – based Tive has developed trackers that transmit real-time shipment data across all modes, including temperature and humidity readings. 

“Cool Chain members are focused on finding ways to collaborate to improve the temperature controlled supply chain and Tive brings knowledge and experience to help us achieve those goals,“ said Stavros Evangelakakis. 

“Our membership has been steadily growing over the last few months and we are excited to welcome a new member, who brings different skill sets to share with our community.” 

Tive’s single-use and multi-use trackers can stream location and condition information for any food or perishables shipment. 

“Having accurate, real-time temperature tracking helps companies manage and maintain their stability budgets,” said Blerta Lataj, Referral Partner Manager at Tive. 

“Real-time, hyper specific location tracking is Tive’s bread and butter, and this service is vital for managing time-critical shipments.”

“We are very happy to become a member of CCA and strongly believe that the values and mission of CCA closely align with our solutions for temperature and time-critical shipments of perishables and the pharma sector.”  

As well as welcoming its new member, CCA has recently launched a Technical Committee project bringing together experts from different fields to tackle issues in the temperature-controlled supply chain. 

The CCA’s Risk Management Committee will be hosting a round table discussion at the Association’s forthcoming Annual General Meeting and perishables summit in Rome, Italy on July 6th and 7th. 

Later in the year, CCA will be part of Airfreight Pharma, on the 5 – 7th September at the Grand Hyatt, Athens, Greece. 

For more information on attending the events, visit coolchain.org 

COOL CHAIN ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR A DIGITAL RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO DRIVE EFFICIENCIES

Moving from a strict contractual framework to collaborative ways of working will reduce inefficiencies and create value across the perishables supply chain, according to CCA Board member Eric Mauroux

Berlin, Germany, Thursday 7th April 2022: Stakeholders across the perishables supply chain should adopt a digital approach to risk management to reduce waste and create value by extending shelf life, Eric Mauroux, Cool Chain Association (CCA) Board member and Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FreshBizDev told delegates at Fruit Logistica today.

The industry has been slow to adopt new technologies, and a lack of standardised reporting across the supply chain means that the value proposition in perishables logistics can vary enormously across trade lanes.

By sharing data and adopting common Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), stakeholders from across the cool chain will be able to better understand which temperature excursions need action and plan for smarter logistics solutions, which will reduce waste.

“The cost of claim is not the only criteria to evaluate the cost of inefficiencies,” said Mauroux.

“Value destruction related to reduced shelf-life and waste should also be included when assessing the total logistical cost of a shipment.

“Having a digital approach to risk, which considers the total cost, is an opportunity to better understand the inefficiencies of the supply chain so that we can develop new solutions and build realistic business cases to invest in smarter logistics for the fresh produce trade.”

He said stakeholders should consider moving from a strict contractual framework towards new collaborative ways of working including data-sharing and shared objectives to improve cool chain performance.

“The virtual world is a perfect playground to try out various solutions based on realistic scenarios,” Mauroux said.

“We can collectively create value by improving the shelf life of perishables.”

The CCA has strongly backed a KPI metric for perishables called the Degree-Hour, which takes both temperature and time into consideration to give an absolute figure against which consignments on a given journey can be measured.

Using the metric, temperature excursions are acceptable within a defined bandwidth provided overall Degree-Hours are maintained at a certain score for the shipment across its end-to-end journey.

Mauroux sponsors the CCA’s Risk Management Committee, which includes shipper, airline, and forwarder members, led by Stefan Braun, Managing Director of SmartCAE.

The group is the first Committee under the CCA’s Technical Committee project, which aims to assist, analyse, study, and manage critical control points affecting product quality along the cool chain, as well as developing standards, and initiating projects.

Among the panel alongside Mauroux on the panel were Michael Schotten, Editor in Chief, Fruitnet Media International, Stefan Braun, Managing Director, SmartCAE.

Fruit Logistica is being held at the Berlin Expo centre, Berlin, Germany between 5th and 7th April.

Member spotlight – Robust, Reliable, Reusable: Delivering pharmaceuticals to patients safely and efficiently

In the face of an ever-changing, turbulent pharmaceutical supply chain where demand is only increasing, stakeholders continue to require robust, reliable, reusable cold storage solutions, to provide effective temperature sensitive control to protect the integrity of pharmaceutical products.

The baseline requirement for pharmaceutical logistics is that products should arrive on time, undamaged and with no temperature excursions.

Choosing the most appropriate cold chain solution makes all the difference.

At Tower, our critical objective is to improve the quality and consistency of pharmaceutical deliveries across the market.

We achieve this through innovative structural design of our passive containers, meaning products are transported without the need for in-transit manual intervention.

Our containers are intended to perform in all supply chains, regardless of transport type or environment – ensuring product integrity for patients and pharmaceutical businesses alike.

When shipping temperature sensitive products, it is vital to have a reliable packaging partner who can ensure each container will deliver the correct performance for every shipment.

Here reliability is key, and all Tower containers offer 120 hours temperature compliance in any environment, anywhere in the world.

Data downloaded from over 15,000 shipments has demonstrated fewer than 0.1% of temperature excursions on average, a vital indicator in the maintenance of the cold chain.

Focusing on delivering a consistent customer outcome whatever the location is always a priority and manufacturers will indeed source freight from those who have the most optimised supply chain networks.

Those who can offer customers a network of fully stocked hubs located across multiple countries provide the proximity and availability required by today’s global supply chains.

The increased pressure for greener supply chain management within the pharmaceutical industry is also forcing many to reassess their processes.

Reusable storage containers have rapidly grown to become a favoured method for sustainable medical logistics.

By providing a multi-use solution they offer a substantially reduced environmental profile, simply by the fact that they stay in market circulation for a longer time, thereby decreasing the amount of packaging waste produced.

Clearly, all players in the cold chain have a role to play in sustainability and by ensuring our containers are both robust and reusable we are contributing to our customers circular supply-chain ambitions.

Indeed, it is the overall combination of delivering robust, reliable, reusable cold storage solutions, that customers value most in today’s global supply network and one that drives our focus within Tower Cold Chain.

New CCA members

We are pleased to welcome three new members to the CCA, LOT Polish Airlines, Tower Cold Chain, and Challenge Group.

LOT is the sixth airline to join CCA’s growing membership.

“By joining the CCA and taking part in the Risk Management Committee, we hope to create common global standards and work towards a safe environment for handling pharmaceutical and healthcare products across the temperature-controlled supply chain,” said Kamil Rarak, Special Cargo Product Development and Training Manager, LOT Polish Airlines.

“We were awarded the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV) Pharmaceutical Certificate in 2020 and we are focused on supporting our global business partners in the field of healthcare products.”

Tower Cold Chain supplies specialist temperature-controlled containers.

“We are delighted to join the CCA and look forward to collaborating to ensure pharmaceuticals are handled and transported by means of robust, reliable, reusable solutions,” said

Nick Gilmore, Global Head of Sales and Marketing, Tower Cold Chain.

“Through working together, Tower can better assist the temperature-sensitive supply chain to reduce temperature excursions and waste and improve sustainability, to benefit the pharmaceutical community.”

Global air cargo group Challenge’s six companies include cargo airlines, handlers, and logistics services, and its subsidiary carrier

CAL Cargo Airlines is a leading carrier of perishables on the Israel to Europe trade lane.

It has a portfolio of temperature-controlled products covering perishables and pharmaceuticals and holds the IATA CEIV certification for its two airlines, CAL and Challenge Airlines, as well as for Challenge Handling in Liège, Belgium.

CAL Cargo Airlines will join the CCA’s newly developed Technical Committee, with the aim of supporting tangible projects and initiatives to drive improvements in the cool supply chain.

“By joining the CCA, we know we can make a concrete contribution to raise industry standards as an active member of the Technical Committee,” said Gianluca Marcangelo, Senior Manager Cargo Transformation, Challenge Group.

“We are looking forward to networking with other members and enhance our industry engagement to build strategic and long-term business partnership.”

For more information

www.lot.com

www.towercoldchain.com

www.cal-cargo.com

New Risk Management Committee launched

We have launched our first project under the Technical Committee Programme, which aims is to assist, analyse, study, and manage critical points affecting product quality along the cool chain, as well as developing standards, and initiating projects.

Under the sponsorship of our Board member Eric Mauroux, the Risk Management Committee includes shipper, airline, and forwarder members, led by Stefan Braun, Managing Director of SmartCAE.

“The group will focus on developing digital risk management strategies in order to move towards more efficient and smarter pharma and perishable supply chains,” said Mauroux, 

“We will identify case studies to help us adapt solutions, which are cost-effective and sustainable, as key drivers to reducing the risk of waste.”

Committee members include: Rogier Rook, Logistics Director, Nature’s Pride; Kamil Rarak, Special Cargo Product Development and Training Manager; LOT Polish Airline; and, Xavier Ripoll, Sales and Marketing Director, Able Freight, with a pharmaceutical company due to join soon.

“We need to collect the right information and bring trust to the table so that we can come up with smart cost-effective solutions,

understand the actual cost of inefficiencies and move away from over engineered solutions,” said Mauroux.

“CCA is a neutral party that can help reconcile the virtual world with real historical data and develop positive solutions where the total cost reflects what is needed to get the job done.”

Under the Technical Committee program, CCA members who are not Board members can volunteer to become Project Coordinators, responsible for the facilitation of initiatives and the proposal of final solutions to the Board. If you have a project in mind, please contact  cca@meantime.global

Picture caption: Pictured left to right top Kamil Rarak, Special Cargo Product Development and Training Manager, LOT Polish Airlines; Rogier Rook, Logistics Director, Nature’s Pride; left to right bottom Stefan Braun, Managing Director, SmartCAE; Xavier Ripoll, Sales and Marketing Director, Able Freight; and Eric Mauroux, CCA Board member and President of Freshbizdev.

Cool Chain Association welcomes two new members and kicks off its Technical Committee with a risk management project

LOT Polish Airlines and Tower Cold Chain are the latest members to join the Cool Chain Association

Luxembourg, Wednesday 9th February 2022The Cool Chain Association (CCA) has continued to grow its membership with the addition of LOT Polish Airlines and Tower Cold Chain.

The Association, whose members collaborate towards improving quality in the temperature-sensitive supply chain, has also announced the formation of a new committee looking into risk management as part of its Technical Committee programme.

LOT is the sixth airline to join CCA’s growing membership.

“By joining the CCA and taking part in the Risk Management Committee, we hope to create common global standards and work towards a safe environment for handling pharmaceutical and healthcare products across the temperature-controlled supply chain,” said Kamil Rarak, Special Cargo Product Development and Training Manager, LOT Polish Airlines.

“We were awarded the International Air Transport Association Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) Certificate in 2020 and we are focused on supporting our global business partners in the field of healthcare products.”

Tower Cold Chain, supplies specialist temperature-controlled containers.

“We are delighted to join the CCA and look forward to collaborating to ensure pharmaceuticals are handled and transported by means of robust, reliable, reusable solutions,” said Nick Gilmore, Global Head of Sales and Marketing, Tower Cold Chain.

“Through working together, Tower can better assist the temperature-sensitive supply chain to reduce excursions and waste and improve sustainability, to benefit the pharmaceutical community.”

The CCA’s Risk Management Committee, which held its first full meeting last week, is sponsored by CCA Board member Eric Mauroux, President of Freshbizdev, and includes shipper, airline, and forwarder members, led by Stefan Braun, Managing Director of SmartCAE.

“The group will focus on developing digital risk management strategies in order to move towards more efficient and smarter pharma and perishable supply chains,” said Mauroux,

“We will identify case studies to help us adapt solutions, which are cost-effective and sustainable, as key drivers to reducing the risk of waste.”

Committee members include: Rogier Rook, Logistics Director, Nature’s Pride; Kamil Rarak, Special Cargo Product Development and Training Manager; LOT Polish Airlines; and, Xavier Ripoll, Sales and Marketing Director, Able Freight, with a pharmaceutical company due to join later this week.

The Risk Management Committee is part of CCA’s newly-launched Technical Committee programme, which aims is to assist, analyse, study, and manage critical points affecting product quality along the cool chain, as well as developing standards, and initiating projects.

CCA members who are not Board members can volunteer to become Project Coordinators, responsible for the facilitation of initiatives and the proposal of final solutions to the Board.

CCA Board members sponsor the projects.

The CCA holds two events a year, one for pharmaceuticals and one for perishables. The pharmaceuticals event for this year has been confirmed and will take place in Athens.

Cool Chain Association welcomes temperature-sensitive air freight specialist Challenge Group as its newest member

The CCA continues to grow its global membership, working with companies focused on improving the cool supply chain

Luxembourg, Tuesday 7th December 2021Challenge Group is the latest temperature-sensitive supply chain specialist to join the Cool Chain Association (CCA) as part of its growing membership.

Global air cargo group Challenge’s six companies include cargo airlines, handlers, and logistics services, and its subsidiary carrier CAL Cargo Airlines is a leading carrier of perishables on the Israel to Europe trade lane.

It has a portfolio of temperature-controlled products covering perishables and pharmaceuticals and holds the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV) certification for its two airlines, CAL and Challenge Airlines, as well as for Challenge Handling in Liège, Belgium.

CAL Cargo Airlines will join the CCA’s newly developed Technical Committee, with the aim of supporting tangible projects and initiatives to drive improvements in the cool supply chain.

“By joining the CCA, we know we can make a concrete contribution to raise industry standards as an active member of the Technical Committee,” said Gianluca Marcangelo, Senior Manager Cargo Transformation, Challenge Group.

“We are looking forward to networking with other members and enhance  our industry engagement to build strategic and long-term business partnership.”

CAL Cargo Airlines, part of the Challenge Group, was founded in 1976 to service growing export demands of perishable goods out of Tel Aviv, Israel, and has remained committed to delivering quality services for temperature-controlled products, as well as growing its portfolio.

CCA members are focused on driving improved logistics services for the pharmaceutical and perishable sectors.

The CCA launched its Technical Committee earlier this year, to analyse and manage critical points affecting product quality along the cool chain, as well as to develop standards and initiate projects.

“It is important that we work together to deliver tangible solutions for our cool supply chain, that is our focus,” said Nicola Caristo, CCA Secretary General and Airline Partner Manager, SkyCell AG.

“By working with quality-driven experts such as Challenge, we will together make a much-needed difference and we welcome their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to help us achieve our goal.”

The CCA holds two networking events a year, one covering perishables and the other on pharmaceuticals.

The CCA aims to host a Pharma and Perishables event in 2022 with details to follow.

The Cool Chain Association launches new logo and website at its seventh global perishables event

The Cool Chain Association (CCA) welcomed over 60 delegates to its Seventh Global Perishables Conference held virtually yesterday

Luxembourg, Thursday 16 September 2021: The Cool Chain Association has launched a new logo and website as part of its drive to grow membership and further support a more quality-driven temperature-sensitive supply chain.

The new branding reflects CCA’s efforts to encourage collaboration in the cool chain community, with the new website providing easy access to information about ongoing projects, as well as downloadable white papers and case studies.

The new look was revealed at the CCA’s Seventh Global Perishables Event attended virtually by over 60 delegates yesterday.

“There has perhaps never been a more pressing time for our community to work together and drive quality in the temperature-sensitive supply chain,” said Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman, Cool Chain Association (CCA).

“CCA provides a neutral platform to facilitate collaboration with the aim of reducing food loss and waste, as well as benefiting the pharma industry.

“Our new look is a reflection of our renewed vision to grow membership and drive quality-driven change in the industry.”

Delegates at the Perishables Conference were updated on CCA initiatives including its new Technical Committee, which aims to assist, analyse, study, and manage critical points affecting product quality along the value chain, as well as developing standards, and initiating projects.

“We welcome any suggestions for projects that will progress the ambition of the Association to reduce waste and loss and improve the quality, efficiency, and value of the cool supply chain,” said Nicola Caristo, CCA Secretary General; Airline Partner Manager, SkyCell AG.

“It allows us to concentrate efforts and resources on specific topics and projects, whilst showcasing the benefits of joining the Association to cool chain companies through white papers and proof of concept.”

Delegates heard an overview of the perishables market in South Africa from Lucien Jansen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the conference platinum sponsor PPECB.

The event was also sponsored by shipping line MSC and terminal operator FPT.

Dr Radhika Batra, Founder and President of Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) Every Infant Matters, the CCA’s chosen charity, spoke about reshaping healthcare to make it more accessible.

The CCA holds both perishable and pharma events, with the next event to be held in 2022.

For more information on joining CCA or taking part in one of its programmes go to coolchain.org

To suggest a project for the Technical Committee, contact cca@meantime.global


Working together to improve the temperature-sensitive supply chain to reduce food loss and waste in the perishables sector as well as benefiting the pharma community.

Registered Address
9 Rue de Siegelbach
L-5361 Schrassig
Grand Dutchy of Luxembourg


© Cool Chain Association. All rights reserved. Built by Meantime Communications.