Time temperature indicator
A time temperature indicator (TTI) is a smart label which shows through a visual color change the accumulated time-temperature history of a product.[1] Time temperature indicators are commonly used on food and medical products as freshness indicators - visualizing the end of a products shelf-life.
History
The first time-temperature indicators were introduced at the French retailer Monoprix in the 1990s. Shortly after they started appearing on insulin products used mainly by the Unicef and Doctors without borders in Sub-Sahara Africa. Since than TTI's have been established at a number of food producers, retailers and medical companies globally.
Technology
There is a large number of different time temperature indicators available in the market, based on different technologies. They are all providing a very similar benefit - a visual indication of a products freshness. Some applications are based on normal printing inks while others contain pouches with bacterial fluids that change color when a certain time-temperature limit has been reached. A number of EU projects such as "Freshlabel" and "Chill-on" has successfully tested different time temperature indicators and their use on different food products[2].
TTI's food industry
Time-temperature indicators can be used on all food products and food cool chains which are dependent on a controlled temperature environment. Certain technologies can also be used for frozen food and the frozen chain.
Benefits
Survey's within the EU projects "Freshlabel" and "Chill-on" have shown a positive feedback by consumers to the use of TTI's on food products. As TTI's guarantee the cool chain of food products, they are expected to reduce the amount of food waste[3], as well as reducing the number of food related ilnesses [4].
Users of TTI's
- Kneuss - a large Swiss chicken producer has introduced the TTI Technology OnVu of the companies BASF and Freshpoint in 2008. According to a newspaper article one year after launch, the CEO of Kneuss claimed the experience with TTI's to be positive, both in respect to consumer feedback and food quality.
- The food home delivery unit of Carrefour uses a time temperature indicator to prove that the cool chain has not been breached by the time the consumer receives the product.
- The largest German grocery retail chain EDEKA is testing the OnVu TTI on their meat products [5].
- British Airways uses for internal cool chain logistics a TTI to prove the freshness of airline food[6].
Regulation
The WHO regulates the use of TTI's for certain medical products. There is extensive regulation by the FDA on the use of TTI's on US seafood products [7].