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Temperature-sensitive products
are always at risk as they move through the cold chain. Safety and quality
issues caused by temperature abuse in distribution are difficult to
determine">
Return to Main
Page | Contact Us | Sales Information Temperature-sensitive products
are always at risk as they move through the cold chain. Safety and quality
issues caused by temperature abuse in distribution are difficult to
determine, because the products usually have no visual or other signs
(texture or odor) that they have been damaged by the cumulative effects of
less-than-ideal treatment. We believe that the best answer to this situation
is to monitor the product at the item or case level. This is where a
temperature sensing label can do the job, a "check point" for product
acceptance or rejection. That is the basis for our product line. CheckPoint®
is a simple inexpensive adhesive label that provides visible proof that
there has been a problem, and when and what to do about it. A CheckPoint® label responds
to time and temperature and provides single visual signal to tell if the
product is good or if it should not be used. By integrating time and
temperature into a simple visual result, a clear decision can be made.
The labels are "time-temperature integrators" or TTI's in abbreviated form. Vitsab International is a
pioneer in the TTI label industry. We manufacture and source the best
possible technological solutions to TTI labels to be used with temperature
sensitive products. Our labels and their performance has been validated by
independent laboratories in the USA and by EU regulatory authorities. In the
USA, the Food and Drug Administration has also accepted Checkpoint® TTI's
for use in seafood HACCP programs, especially for imported seafood products
and for reduced oxygen packaged products. Quality Assurance
CheckPoint® labels are used by
meat, seafood and vegetable processor to monitor for temperature abuse
during the distribution and storage of their products up to the point of
retail sales. Suppliers and producers depend on CheckPoint® to ensure proper
treatment of materials form their suppliers. The advantages are significant:
Improvement of perishable
management by advance knowledge of product conditions Enforcement of temperature
maintenance in the cold chain, resulting in fluid retention and
weight-based value Customer retention by
assured improvement in perishable freshness Assurance of food
wholesomeness for airline meals, catering operations, commissary
kitchens and health care facilities CheckPoint®
and Food Science CheckPoint® has been proven to
conform to the known parameters of microbial growth on and in food, and thus
can serve as an indicator of the condition of food products as related to
the total microbial growth activity. In fact, CheckPoint® is the
only temperature label with a firmly established "science base". Our
sponsored studies at major universities range over a wide variety of
minimally processed seafood and meats, prepared foods and other perishable
products. TTI Consumer Reactions
Consumers generally understand
that food left out of the refrigerator on the kitchen counter will not last
nearly as long as food which is stored in the refrigerator. This is the
fundamental practical lesson that creates awareness of the time-temperature
relationship--a relationship that is the main principle of food safety and
freshness. A study conducted at the
University of Minnesota concluded "...confidence in products is greatly
increased, and buying habits are dramatically affected" when TTI's are used
with consumer products. "...96% said that they would by more likely to
purchase a product with a CT [consumer time-temperature label], and 46% said
that they would be much more likely to purchase a consumer TTI-labeled
item". HACCP and Product Safety
Thermal abuse (improper
refrigeration or heat exposure during transfer) affects product safety. This
is typically due to the significant possibility of growth of microbial
pathogens as a result of higher temperature conditions in storage or
transport. CheckPoint TTI labels mimic the process of pathogen growth almost
exactly (given accurate information about starting bacterial concentration).
So, CheckPoint® can be set to change
color when a critical safety risk point is reached. CheckPoint® TTI labels are
ideal decision making tools--they provide a clear 'yes or no' answer that is
quantifiable and reproducible. Other monitoring tools gather data which must
be then interpreted. CheckPoint® TTI labels have the critical point decision
build in. HACCP and QA experts who have seen he operation of the system
agree that it is the ideal indicator of food storage and handling. for
quality and safety, CheckPoint® performs. | ||||||||||||||||||