SETTING PARAMETERS IN THE COLD CHAIN(Ajuste de parámetros en la cadena de frío)

Victoria Rodríguez

Description

Abstract
Breaks in the cold chain are important economic losses in food and pharmaceutical companies. Many of the failures in the cold chain are due to improper adjustment of equipment parameters such as setting the parameters for theoretical conditions, without a corresponding check in normal operation. The companies that transport refrigerated products must be able to adjust the parameters of the equipment in an easy and quick to adapt their functioning to changing environmental conditions. This article presents the results of a study carried out with a food distribution company. The main objective of the study is to verify the effectiveness of Six Sigma as a methodological tool to adjust the equipment in the cold chain. The second objective is more specific and is to study the impact of: reducing the volume of storage in the truck, the initial temperature of the storage are a in the truck and the frequency of defrost in the transport of refrigerated products.
Resumen
Las rupturas en la cadena de frío representan importantes pérdidas económicas en las empresas farmacéuticas y alimentarias. Muchos de los fallos en la cadena de frío se deben a un inadecuado ajuste en los parámetros de los equipos, como por ejemplo el ajuste de los parámetros para condiciones teóricas, sin su correspondiente verifi cación en condiciones normales de operación. Las empresas que transportan productos refrigerados deben ser capaces de ajustar los parámetros de los equipos de una manera fácil y rápida para adaptar su funcionamiento a los cambios en las condiciones ambientales. En este artículo se presentan los resultados
de un estudio llevado a cabo con una empresa distribuidora de alimentos. El principal objetivo de estudio es verifi car la efectividad de la metodología “Seis sigma” como herramienta metodológica para ajustar los parámetros de los equipos en la cadena de frío. El segundo objetivo es más específico y consiste en estudiar el impacto de: la reducción del volumen de almacenamiento en el camión, la temperatura inicial del área de almacenamiento en el camión y la frecuencia de descarche en el transporte de productos refrigerados.

Sujets

• Cold chain
• Control
• Cadena de frío

Informations

• Publié par: erevistas
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 35
• Langue: Gallegan

Extrait

con-ciencias
Setting parameters in the cold chain
Ajuste de parámetros en la cadena de frío
VICTORIA RODRÍGUEZ
Ingeniera de producción agroindustrial, doctora en Ingeniera Industrial. Docente
de la Universidad de Navarra. Pamplona, España. [e-mail]
ITXASO AMORRORTU
Ingeniera en organización industrial. Docente de Mondragon Unibertsitatea.
Mondragon, España. [e-mail]
MARÍA JESÚS ÁLVAREZ
Ingeniera agrónoma, doctora en Ingeniería Agrónoma. Docente de la Escuela de
Ingenieros Universidad de Navarra. Pamplona, España. [e-mail]
Clasificación del artículo: Investigación (Conciencias)
Fecha de recepción: 30 de mayo de 2011 Fecha de aceptación: 29 de agosto de 2011
Key words: Cold chain, control, parameter setting, six sigma methodology.
Palabras clave: Cadena de frio, control, ajuste de parámetros, metodología !Seis sigma".
main objective of the study is to verify the effec-ABSTRACT
tiveness of Six Sigma as a methodological tool
to adjust the equipment in the cold chain. The se-Breaks in the cold chain are important economic
losses in food and pharmaceutical companies. cond objective is more speciÞ c and is to study the
impact of: reducing the volume of storage in the Many of the failures in the cold chain are due to
truck, the initial temperature of the area improper adjustment of equipment parameters
in the truck and the frequency of defrost in the such as setting the parameters for theoretical con-
transport of refrigerated products. ditions, without a corresponding check in normal
operation. The companies that transport refrigera-
ted products must be able to adjust the parameters RESUMEN
of the equipment in an easy and quick to adapt
their functioning to changing environmental con- Las rupturas en la cadena de frío representan im-
ditions. This article presents the results of a study portantes pérdidas económicas en las empresas
carried out with a food distribution company. The farmacéuticas y alimentarias. Muchos de los fa-
Tecnura Vol. 15 No. 30 set pp. 71 - 81 ting parameters in the cold chain Julio - Diciembre de 2011 71
VICTORIA RODRÍGUEZ / ITXASO AMORRORTU / MARÍA JESÚS ÁLVAREZcon-ciencias
llos en la cadena de frío se deben a un inadecuado distribuidora de alimentos. El principal objetivo de
ajuste en los parámetros de los equipos, como por estudio es veriÞ car la efectividad de la metodolo-
ejemplo el ajuste de los parámetros para condicio- gía !Seis sigma" como herramienta metodológica
nes teóricas, sin su correspondiente veriÞ cación en para ajustar los parámetros de los equipos en la ca-
condiciones normales de operación. Las empresas dena de frío. El segundo objetivo es más especíÞ co
que transportan productos refrigerados deben ser y consiste en estudiar el impacto de: la reducción
capaces de ajustar los parámetros de los equipos del volumen de almacenamiento en el camión, la
de una manera fácil y rápida para adaptar su fun- temperatura inicial del área de almacenamiento en
cionamiento a los cambios en las condiciones am- el camión y la frecuencia de descarche en el trans-
bientales. En este artículo se presentan los resulta- porte de productos refrigerados.
dos de un estudio llevado a cabo con una empresa
* * *
accordance with the speciÞ c conditions of each 1. INTRODUCTION
delivery; characteristics such as the type of route
to be covered and the geographic area of opera-Though processes related to the food industry are
tion, among others. widely regulated and associated with a series of
practices [1, 2], European Standard EC 2073/2005,
Next, results will be presented from a project the application of these practices does not guaran-
which had the following objectives: a) to verify tee that a determined product has not suffered a
the effectiveness of the Six Sigma methodology breakage in its cold chain. This fact has trigge-
to quickly deÞ ne parameter adjustment procedu-red constant concern for food distribution com-
res and b) to study the impact of the truck volume panies regarding the control of their cold chain.
reduction system, the temperature at the begin-Even though this control is costly from both an
ning of the route and the frequency of defrosting economic and operative perspective [3], it is com-
during temperature maintenance in the transpor-pensated with the reduction of costs produced by
tation of frozen products. This paper is structu-the deterioration of products. An interesting way
red in the following way: in the Þ rst section, the to improve the quality of the perishable products
most relevant aspects of the cold chain will be is to assure the stability of cold chains in the cold
discussed, in the following section the main re-chains management [4].
search question will be presented, followed by an
explanation of the methodology used and results A number of variables intervene throughout the
yielded. Finally, conclusions will be presented. cold chain, such as the temperature and humidity
that surround the refrigeration units, maintenan-
ce practices and equipment control parameters, 2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDS
among others. Some of these variables are un-
controllable. In transportation, for example, the- With the aim of preventing the deterioration and
se variables determine the operation of a speciÞ c contamination of food, a number of conservation
techniques are used, some of which incorporate unit used for transporting frozen products. There-
fore, it is impossible to establish standard opera- additives, treatments with microorganisms, sub-
ting parameters for a speciÞ c unit. This challenge jecting products to high pressure, drastic changes
in temperature or cooling [5]. Of all of these tech-highlights the need to adjust these parameters in
72 Tecnura Vol. 15 No.30 Julio - Diciembre de 2011con-ciencias
niques, cooling is the least aggressive in terms of left out of the refrigeration units for an excessive
how it affects the product [2]. Studies such as the amount of time. The latter case occurs frequently
one carried out by [6] reveal that the use of time- during the loading and unloading of trucks and
temperature indicators can be more effective in the process of product repositioning on
regards to product quality control compared to a store shelves.
simple microbiological count.
Two methods are used to ensure the traceability
One of the fundamental objectives of governments of a product and the conditions under which it has
worldwide is to increase the level of protection of been stored, one of which consists of measuring
public health. In order to achieve this, different or- the temperature of the product at different points
ganizations have been created with the aim of esta- of the cold chain. The second method is based on
blishing a foundation to boost the security of food controlling the air temperature in which the product
products [1, 7]. One of these organizations is the is being stored. The Þ rst method only allows the
International Institute of Refrigeration, which was detection of breakage of the cold chain that occurs
created by various governments to raise awareness moments before measurement and if the breakage
of all areas of refrigeration worldwide [2]. In accor- signiÞ cantly alters the product’s temperature.
dance with European EC 2073/2005, !the security
of food products can be mainly guaranteed through A number of techniques are used to control the
a preventative approach, such as the adoption of storage conditions of the product, such as : a) the
sound hygienic practices and the application of manual measurement of selected parameters along
procedures based on HACCP principles". different points of the cold chain, such
as speciÞ c humidity or the temperature of the pro-
Controlling the cold chain is a fundamental aspect ducts at speciÞ c points of the cold chain; b) the
for all companies in the food and health industries. use of technologies that allow the monitoring of
The use of cooling in the food sector has increased the product’s storage and transportation condi-
signiÞ cantly over the years due to globalization tions (tracking) with radio frequency-based te-
and an increase in the consumption of pre-cooked chnologies (RFID) [11] [12], ZigBee technology
products. Pre-cooked products are those whose [13] or those based on GPRS. The pharmaceutical
raw materials undergo a higher rate of manipula- industry employs product temperature-slowing
tion and in which many cases have an extended life strategies based on the introduction of special gel
cycle [8]. During the last years progress in the con- packets into containers [14]. Despite the fact that
trol of the cold chain have been directed to transpa- these measures are fairly effective, the resulting
rency, information and tracking, which stems from cost increase when applied to food renders these
the development of new technologies [9, 10]. measures to be impractical.
In order to guarantee food quality, it is necessary The economic losses suffered by distribution com-
to ensure that the co