By Mary Catherine O'Connor

Jan. 3, 2011—Despite the current locavore trend, many of the perishable foods we consume are not produced locally. For freshness and safety, dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, and fruits and vegetables shipped cross-country or overseas must be monitored closely, to ensure they never fall above or below set temperature ranges. Foods stored and shipped at improper temperatures can lead to waste. "If a grocer turns away an entire truckload of strawberries due to spoilage, that's a $40,000 loss," says Michael McCartney, founder and principal at QLM Consulting, an RFID consulting firm that serves the food industry. More alarming is the threat of food-borne illnesses and deaths that can result when bacteria or viruses grow on temperature-sensitive foods.

Many shipping companies use digital data loggers to monitor individual cases, pallets or containers of perishable foods, because the temperatures within a truck can vary, depending on location and loading patterns. Temperatures also fluctuate as the refrigeration system moves through its cooling cycles or when a truck's doors are opened and closed.

Illustration: iStockphoto

But digital data loggers, which take periodic readings of temperature and/or humidity and record the data, have limited functionality. They require a physical connection to retrieve the information, which is a time-consuming process. And by the time you learn that, say, several pallets fell outside their optimal temperature range while in transit, the damage is already done.