Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems has introduced a novel food quality visualization solution, employing time-temperature sensing ink. This innovation is designed to facilitate cost-efficient quality monitoring and diminish waste. The ink's color alteration, contingent on time and temperature lapse, obviates the need for power or retrieval, streamlining the tracking of temperature-sensitive commodities and augmenting product value.
In the realm of supply chain management, maintaining temperature control is indispensable, especially for fresh produce and perishables. Hitachi's recent breakthrough offers a viable and economical alternative to conventional methods such as temperature loggers. The time-temperature sensing ink serves as a visual cue for the cumulative temperature exposure over time, bolstering transparency. This enables growers, retailers, and wholesalers to refine their shipment and storage strategies.
The solution comprises a label imbued with the time-temperature sensing ink and a quality visualization app. The label, affixed to the product, features a two-dimensional code for efficient tracking. The utilization of the app to scan the label allows users to access accumulated temperature data, forecast ripeness, and ascertain the prime consumption period.
Hitachi's demonstration with melons showcased the ink's capability to track temperature comparably to traditional loggers. Additionally, the app's successful ripeness prediction facilitated informed decision-making, contributing to waste reduction.
Source: FoodBev Media