projected product temperatureOne of the primary goals of a good cold chain management program is to minimize risk by utilizing best quality management practices throughout the distribution process. The obvious advantages of a solid CCM program will result in maximizing shelf life and enhancing the customer experience.

Procuro’s PIMM™ CCM solutions focus on controlling the environmental conditions of cold storage, staging, transport and delivery associated with the products in order to achieve the best results.

Projected Product Temps (PIMM-PPT™) is now available for all shipments monitored by Procuro’s PIMM™ software. This includes supplier delivery(PIMM™SUD), Facility Monitoring(PIMM™FMC), distributor deliveries(PIMM™TMS) and store/restaurant monitoring(PIMM™SMS).

What is PIMM-PPT™?

The “Mean Kinetic Temperature (MKT) is an FDA recognized logarithm which is a simplified way of expressing the overall effect of temperature fluctuations during storage or transit of perishable goods. With years of experience and data collection, Procuro has refined this mathematical expression to represent “PPT”, or Projected Product Temperatures.

How is PIMM-PPT™ Calculated?

“PIMM-PPT™ is an expression of the cumulative thermal stress experienced by a perishable product at varying temperatures during storage and distribution. PIMM-PPT™ is a calculated, single temperature that is similar to the effects of temperature variations on the product over time.

PIMM-PPT™ is not a simple weighted average. The calculation of PIMM-PPT™ gives the higher temperatures a greater weight when computing the average than would a simple numerical average or an arithmetic mean. This weighting is determined by a geometric transformation–the natural logarithm of the absolute temperature. PPT is “a single derived temperature, which, if maintained over a defined period, would afford the same thermal challenge to a perishable product as would have been experienced over a range of both higher and lower temperatures for an equivalent defined period”.

By using this unequal weighting of the higher temperatures in a temperature series, PIMM-PPT™ takes into consideration the accelerated rate of thermal degradation of food products at these higher temperatures. Therefore, PIMM-PPT™ provides for the non-linear effect of temperature.

Why is “MKT/PIMM-PPT” Important in the Life of Perishable Goods?

The pharmaceutical and food industries are two closely regulated markets. The FDA provides regulations that require warehouse and shipment temperatures to be closely controlled and monitored. In addition, the FDA requires well-documented verification of these storage environments and any corrective actions taken if temperatures exceed specified storage conditions. The calculation of “PIMM-PPT” would be regarded by the FDA as an action taken to verify if a particular perishable has exceeded storage conditions. In addition to compliance with the FDA regulations, “PIMM-PPT” can help distributors and manufacturers determine if improper storage, handling of goods might have occurred during shipment and/or unloading and how it may have affected the shelf life of the product.

Each of the green check marks on top corresponds to a store delivery/stop. The orange line is the monitored ambient air temperature inside the trailer and the blue line is the calculated PIMM-PPT™ throughout the route.

C1 graph – Even though the doors were opened many times, the overall effect upon the product was negligible (blue line).

C2 graph – Temperatures were allowed to climb to unacceptable levels (frozen stayed within spec during this time however) as the C2 cooler and ambient section of the truck (3rd compartment) were allowed to mix their air temperatures together (poor bulkhead management by delivery driver).

Projected Product Temperature Summary

Procuro’s PIMM™ PPT™ is “THE ANSWER” to the frequently asked question… “What is the product temperature of this item; and how was quality, safety and shelf-life affected under the storage and transit conditions?”

PIMM™ PPT is an excellent tool to ensure product temperature compliance and customer satisfaction during the storage and transportation of refrigerated products. PIMM™ PPT uses the Mean Kinetic Temperature algorithm to properly project the product temperatures based upon the ambient air conditions or environmental conditions during the distribution process.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the PIMM™ PPT it is essential to monitor, analyze and manage the “Ambient Air” temperatures through the process. If you manage and maintain proper ambient air conditions, the product temperatures will always be in-line with the customers’ requirements.

Managing the ambient air is all about “process and procedures” as described in the next section “Store Delivery Process and Recommendations”. Store (Outbound) Deliveries are significantly more difficult than Supplier (Inbound) Deliveries because distributors and fleet managers need to manage multiple products, multiple temperature compartments, multiple delivery stops, bulkheads, partitions etc.

  • Managing the Ambient Air allows for real-time corrective actions
  • Real-time corrective actions will help control the thermal abuse of the product
  • Controlling the product temperatures will maximize the shelf life of the products
  • Longer shelf life equals Happy Customers

Read Stage 1. Pre-Cooling Trailers Process.

Read Stage 2. Loading Trailers.

Read Stage 3. Loading Trailers.

Read Stage 4. Departure and Arrival Process for Loaded Trailers.

PART 5. FOOD SAFETY AND MODERNIZATION ACT (FSMA) COMPLIANCE

Coming next – Store Delivery Process and Recommendations

For more information, please call 1-888-571-7466 (USA), +353 (1) 9036857 (Europe), +86 (20) 28261800 (China).

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3 Responses to “BEST PRACTICES FOR REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT©. PART 6. PIMM™ Projected Product Temperature (PIMM™ PPT)”

  1. Fred Gibbons

    It’s interesting that you point out that perishable products require refrigerated transportation. I want to get into the food business, so it sounds like I’ll need to hire a refrigerated transportation service. I’m going to look for a good provider of refrigerated transportation services that I can use.

    • Oxana Cobbold

      Hello Fred,
      Yes, perishable products are better refrigerated! Good luck with your new career choice!

  2. Jonathan Hansen

    Thanks for pointing out that refrigerated trucks can be used to transport perishable goods. I want to start a business that will require me to transport food, so I’m thinking about hiring a refrigerated trucking service. I’m going to look for a good refrigerated trucking service that I can use.

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