Ever left the milk out of the fridge in warm weather and it’s gone off? Annoying isn’t it. Milk is like any product from a cold chain supply industry – always at risk from unmonitored temperature changes. Well, Caps & Closures has come up with a clever solution called ThermoShield to solve the problem.

ThermoShield safeguards cold chain products, using Thermochromic (TC) materials which are designed to change colour when the temperature of a product changes.

To understand the far-reaching benefits of ThermoShield, you only need to look at the food industry (refrigerated dairy, vegetables, meat and frozen foods) to appreciate how strict temperature control from the farm to the table prevents spoilage in transit and in-store, and increases product display shelf life.

There’s Nothing Cool About Food Wastage

Let’s start with a chilling fact. The UN estimates that about one-third of all human food production is currently wasted (Mercier 2017).

With refrigeration, food safety, and food waste intimately linked, inappropriate refrigeration is responsible for around 12% of food waste in the USA (NRDC 2012) alone. That’s even before we consider the safety risks of foodborne illnesses that arise through spoilage of perishable food.

This isn’t a problem confined to just the food industry either. Each year, billions of dollars of pharmaceutical products are stored and shipped at improper temperatures or delayed beyond their shelf lives. This creates the risk of pharmaceutical drugs becoming ineffective or even in some instances dangerous to a point of being life-threatening.

Any industry where product quality can be adversely affected by temperature abuses requires constant temperature monitoring to avoid such consequences. We see opportunities to monitor and highlight otherwise unnoticed high electrical switchboard components, machine bearings, coolant and hydraulic fluid temperatures.

Packaging That Communicates to Consumers

The good news is cool-chain and cold-chain food logistics industries can now rely on innovative smart technology in products such as ThermoShield, to protect their products and their brand.

Made from TC materials that alert temperature fluctuations by changing colour, smart packaging such as ThermoShield can significantly improve the quality of your storage, transport and sales to reduce food waste from spoilage.

Around a 30°C temperature change is needed for the TC to change colour, while Activation temperature points range from low refrigeration type temperatures through normal body temperatures to extremely high temperatures.

Think about what this can do for your brand. Consumers will now be drawn to your product packaging which can virtually talk to them. A pre-set temperature built into the cap will say “It’s warm or cooler in here” by rapidly changing colour. Now that is ‘cool’ technology.

With temperature switch points between -20°C and +70°C, and a huge colour transition range, you have the ability to ‘personalise’ your products to meet everyday consumer needs. Imagine a scenario where you get a warning to return the milk to the fridge before it goes off, or you get alerted to put your medications in a cooler spot at home.

This is a very clever and tangible way to give your brand added personality, while at the same time improving the product freshness and the ability to avoid waste.

So Who Needs Thermoshield?

Essentially, ThermoShield is designed for any product where quality is dependent on temperature.

BPA and phthalate-free, and with certification for safe food contact, ThermoShield is ideal for use in a wide variety of cold and cool chain products from perishable goods such as food products, through to pharmaceuticals, health, wellness and beauty, paints and coatings. Other applications can include Labelling with Touch Activated and Cold Activated Thermochromatic Ink.

ThermoShield never wears out through normal use and can be either reversible colours or permanent, which is ideal for identifying over-heated parts or areas not seen during normal inspections.

The Future Looks Cooler

If your products are part of a cold chain supply, it’s easy to enjoy the benefits of Thermoshield. A simple process allows you to choose your closure type, specify the trigger temperature and desired colour transitions you prefer, and the volume you need.

Also, you have the option of customising your own multi-stage TC effect through the pigment manufacturer. Simply contact us at Caps & Closures to find out more.