There is a need to integrate both traceability and freshness technologies into a single platform, so that all pertinent information can be collected as the product moves through the supply chain from processing to wholesale/retail, and to remedy unnecessary costly project rejection. Real research developments are occurring in the integration of sensor technology (which has a microbiological focus, and includes developments in food hygiene indexes for predicting the degree of seafood spoilage on the basis of time-temperature data), and traceability technology (which has a spatial focus and includes developments in geographic information systems).
The real questions for seafood producers, processors and sellers are ones of data management – what does an operator do with the data generated by devices such as temperature loggers and global traceability devices? The linkage between this information and protocols, guidelines and standards for seafood export, food safety or authenticity is not yet fully developed or tested.
Final report
This report constitutes the completion of Phase 1 of the CoolFish Project. The overall objective of the CoolFish project is to utilise commercial traceability and product sensor technologies to address current business impediments and business opportunities in cool chains to support increased sustainability and profitability in seafood supply chains. Phase 1 provides information to support the decision-making process on progress of the CoolFish Project into Phases 2 and 3.
This project provides a baseline information about logistics issues and challenges in Tasmanian salmon cool chains. Reviews were established and commercially available traceability and sensor technologies with the most potential for deployment in Phases 2 and 3 of the CoolFish project were identified.
