To use Radio Frequency identification Technology (RFID) to get an understanding of the storage air and fruit pulp temperatures and relative humidity in a typical South African fruit export supply chain from the very beginning to the very end over two seasons

To address the paucity of information about the two critically important parameters of a cold supply chain: namely temperature and relative humidity, a project was initiated using radio enabled recorders to capture such data across the supply chain. Through this initiative the efficacy of the radio enabled technology to capture and transmit temperature and humidity data was validated, whist at the same time creating a thermal and humidity map of the supply chain from the very beginning to the very end. The latter supplied temperature and relative humidity information that had hitherto never been measured across any cold supply chain before, let alone the South African export supply chain. This information  provided an understanding as to how fit for purpose the supply chain was. There were three collaborators in the project: 1) Department of Horticultural Science, Stellenbosch University, who conceived the project and provided the co-ordination and management. 2) Sainsbury’s in the UK to whom the fruit was supplied, provided access to two of their category managers who received the fruit, two of their distribution centres along with two supermarkets in which the fruit would be sold. Sainsbury’s also took samples of fruit at their distribution centre for quality evaluation. 3). BT9Tech based in Israel who supplied the recording devises and communication units along with the internet data collection. The data recorders were placed in the top of two pallets in each shipment and these pallets were always placed in the front and the rear of the containers. The data showed that there was no consistency in the temperature and humidity management of the cold supply chain for plums, apples pears and soft citrus. In some cases the fruit was not pre-cooled to the appropriate temperature and therefore not loaded into the shipping containers at the correct temperature. During the shipping voyage to the UK the temperature of the fruit was very variable with some loads being on specification irrespective of the position measured in the container. In other cases the temperatures were very variable. The temperatures in the distribution centres were often incorrect due to the product not being placed in the correct cooling chamber. The relative humidity management across the supply chain  was non-existent and is an issue to be addressed. The quality analyses that were taken at the Sainsbury’s distribution centre prior to dispatch to the supermarkets showed that there were no defects in any of the fruit in the study. The information gathered enabled Sainsbury’s to address poor temperature management of their product with the receivers and tighten up their own distribution centres. By using this technology to capture temperature information along the entire length of the supply chain it will be easier in trying to resolve quality or insurance claims, because currently the only temperature information gathered is that from the shipping voyage. In addition where temperature and humidity abuse occurs, particularly in less well managed supply chains, this can be rectified to ensure better quality produce thus enhancing brand South Africa.