IN MARKET GROWING DEMAND How a new shelf life predictor will reduce wasted product “This is where the shelf life predictor tool comes in – it turns data into valuable information.” Data loggers are now more sophisticated as they can measure temperature as well as the GPS location, sending data to the cloud so it can be read in real time. “This gives exporters the ability to control the supply chain, identify where the problem is and work to fix it. “The data can tell us where the product is at a particular temperature, so exporters can determine who’s responsible,” Ian said. “Identifying and fixing problems in cold The shipping time from Australia to export markets impacts the shelf life of red meat.chain management makes the supply chainmore efficient.” Anew tool, five years in the It’s being used in pilot studies to Benefit to brand owners making, is now helping find and fix problems in cold chain and exporters to better predict the shelf management, to reduce customer complaints and insurance claims, and to The shelf life predictor tool gives red life of red meat. meat brand owners and exporters: potentially assist red meat brand owners Shelf life is considered a non‑technical to negotiate trade in export markets. • increased awareness of precise trade barrier as some countries temperature control won’t accept Australian red meat MLA’s Market Access Science and Technology Manager, Ian Jenson, said • the ability to use the shelf life (since it can take 30 days to ship predictor tool with GPS data loggers product internationally). the shelf life predictor tool will benefit red meat brand owners and producers to forecast potential issues early on MLA, in conjunction with the University to help grow Australian red meat’s • the ability to offer an informed opinion of Tasmania, collected data on the market share. if there is a problem. temperature of chilled meat products and the time it takes to send them to “The tool is essentially an equation, in the Australia’s overseas markets, so red form of a spreadsheet, which uses time meat brand owners and exporters can and temperature data (collected through more accurately determine shelf life. data loggers) to tell us how much the shelf life of a chilled, vacuum‑packed Previous MLA research to validate the red meat product has been used up shelf life of red meat has helped to and how much is left, based on certain negotiate more favourable shelf life storage conditions,” Ian said. conditions for Australian chilled beef and sheepmeat in many export markets, Data loggers have always been such as United Arab Emirates, Saudi included in red meat shipments to Arabia and Kuwait. record temperature data, but it was difficult for brand owners to determine The addition of this new where the problem was and how to fix it. shelf life prediction tool “It’s standard practice to include a data allows the red meat supply logger with a shipment, but sometimes we never see them again. If there’s a chain to ensure product problem, we have to try and retrieve it Above: The shelf life predictor tool uses time and and then interpret the data – this has temperature data to calculate how much the shelf quality is maintained until left many exporters scratching their life of a chilled, vacuum‑packed red meat product the labelled expiry date. has been used up and how much is left, based on heads,” Ian said. certain storage conditions. 44