Keeping your cool

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PERISHABLE CARGO: There is an increase in the number of drugs and hi-tech products being airfreighted.

In general terms, the measurement criteria are tailored to individual operational links, such as apron handling, long-term storage, truck and trailer transport and aircraft transport.

"The CCQI is the benchmark system, which gives guidance for best practice," outlines Belgardt. "The result is the best product with a longer shelf-life for the consumer and less waste - this will clearly provide more profit for the cool chain participant."

With the association specifically referring to seafood, dairy products, meats, poultry, vegetables, flowers, medicines, bio-medicals and chemicals as being particularly sensitive to changes in temperature, membership of the group is clearly a matter worth considering for regional freight operators transporting products of this nature.

From the regional perspective, the Cool Chain Association's membership already includes Emirates, Emirates Aviation College, Qatar Airways, Mohebi Logistics and Swift Freight International.

So what are the latest techniques available that are used by regional and international operators to facilitate a cool chain solution? Luxembourg-based cargo airline Cargolux has invested, and continues to invest, in the most modern and reliable aircraft types, especially the B747-400F and the B747-8, which it indicates are the ideal equipment for the transport of temperature-sensitive cargo.

"Cargolux also created a Keepcool team aimed at optimising the cargo processes, guiding and supervising the unbroken cool chain from acceptance of the goods through to final delivery," says Franco Nanna, head of Cargolux's management support team and a member of the company's ‘Keepcool' team.

"Furthermore, standard operating procedures for tailor-made services through intensive collaboration with the stakeholders are also crucial."

Cargolux's reliance on staff knowledge and training is matched by other operators.

"The key techniques that Mohebi relies on are the training of our people, specifically municipality food training or HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) training, but we also put a lot of time into people awareness and product awareness," says a spokesperson for Mohebi Logistics.

"The key to success is preventing the variances from having the ability to react quickly through trained people." Mohebi Logistics, also a member of the Cool Chain Association, is based in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, and has placed a strong emphasis on providing secure warehousing and transport with multi-temperature range capability.

"The most popular and promising technology is RFID," indicates Belgardt.

"There are several different tags, which control not only permanent temperature, but also give warnings when temperatures fluctuate and can even relay instructions as to how to fix the problem - for example, by re-routing the transport vehicle elsewhere. Furthermore, controlled-atmosphere containers are also currently receiving a lot of attention in the market," she adds.

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