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During a time that will undoubtedly be remembered as the greatest humanitarian crisis since World War II, logistics and supply chain experts are forced to develop new strategies for meeting the ever-increasing demand for shipping food, PPE and other products to consumers around the world. The impending mass distribution of COVID-19 vaccines will create yet another level of uncertainty, specifically in terms of transport (mainly air) and storage. The use of dry ice, thermal shipping containers, unique storage/transport temperature requirements and the sheer volume of doses, could cause the percentage of lost COVID vaccines to be significantly higher. Real-time tracking and cloud-based data storage enable stakeholders to receive alerts and share information, identifying temperature excursions during shipping, storage and dispensing.

Temperature monitoring devices utilized should be appropriate for vaccines, and equipped with alarm alerts, to alert stakeholders to any temperature excursions. If a storage unit will not be available for the vaccines once received at the new location, it is advisable to use a portable vaccine refrigerator during transport. If a portable refrigerator is not available, the following are also acceptable: qualified container packout; conditioned water bottle transport system; manufacturer’s original shipping container (only if no other options are available). * Contact the alternative storage facility to prepare for transported vaccines; * Only open refrigerator unit when ready to pack, or power is restored; * Suspend vaccinations to prepare for transport whenever an emergency is anticipated, such as bad weather.

Fruit Attraction’s Innovation Hub has announced its Hub Award Finalists for 2020. In-Transit Logger (Model 22367) is on the list as a one-of-a-kind logger for ocean container temperature monitoring. Additionally, this unit tracks location and light, automatically uploading information 24/7 to FlashTrak cloud service, which is accessible from any internet-enabled device. Over 160 products were submitted to be part of the InnovationHub at Fruit Attraction that aims to showcase internationally innovation as one of the foundations of the fruit and vegetable sector throughout the value chain.

As restaurants re-open in the new-normal COVID world, implementing new practices can help to mitigate exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Recently, the National Restaurant Association released an updated “COVID-19 Safe Operating Guidance” that incorporates the latest information and best practices from the CDC, FDA, EPA and OSHA agencies that are designed to help restaurants operate safely. The guide addresses the following areas: food safety; cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting; employee health monitoring and personal hygiene; social distancing; and effective ventilation. For example, it is suggested that wherever possible, assign a staff member to work the self-service drink stations, limit congregation/lines, and remove lemons and unwrapped straws from the self-service drink stations.