Albertsons adopts new monitor for reefer cargo

Albertsons adopts new monitor for reefer cargo Albertsons, the big supermarket chain, has adopted a new technology for measuring whether food shipments have been exposed to warm temperatures.
   The company said it will require temperature monitoring devices on all inbound produce, fresh meat and seafood shipments to its distribution centers.
   The company said the preferred monitor is a “smart label” made by a Boise, Idaho-based PakSense Inc.
   “We have always monitored the temperatures of our perishable products during shipping,” said Dave Dean, group vice president of procurement for Albertsons LLC. “But we found that traditional temperature monitoring devices were bulky and expensive.”
   He said the PakSense label will save the company “a substantial amount of money, and provide better quality assurance for our customers.”
   The PakSense labels are a two-inch disc, sealed in food-grade packaging and are easy to use. Lights on the sensor indicate if temperature specifications have been breached and all data collected by the label can be downloaded and graphed, enabling Albertsons to pinpoint if, when and for how long, temperature excursions occurred.
   KTVB in Boise said PakSense’s production has grown from 300 labels a month to more than 10,000 a month.