Frozen products should be transported and stored in an unbroken cold chain. It means that, from the moment of production by the net of distributors up to the final consumers, they should be kept in proper temperatures. The exposure of a product to the temperatures out of the recommended range in any of the chain cell may result in lowering the quality of the product. In times when groceries travel through many kilometers and by different means of transport from producers to consumers, structures of cold chains develop significantly.



 

It is to remember, that the cold chain can be broken in any time. Although, that presently there are mechanical or electronic monitoring systems of transported or stored goods, the problem is left unsolved. These devices register only the temperature of the surrounding which is inside the mean of transport or storing place; however they do not register the temperature of the products. It is very easy to break the chain at the moment of e.g. reloading of goods. Therefore, very often there are a lot of misunderstandings on the line among the producer- transport company and distributor. It is also connected with the problem of taking responsibility for braking the cold chain and damage of goods.
 

Application of temperature indicator directly on a single pack of a product or on a combined pack (more developed indicators) will allow for eliminating the threat of delivering the product not suitable for eating to the next cell of a cold chain –together with the consumer as the last cell of the chain.
 

HACCP - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point – is done to ensure the safety of groceries designed for consumers. HACCP is used in companies producing and trading in groceries. This method ensures safety of food. It is based mainly on preventing the threats, by identification of places in which the threats may occur and the proper reaction in case of threat. HACCP legislation constrains the temperature monitoring for the products sensitive to its change. Therefore TTI indicators are an ideal tool that allows producers to fulfil this condition. The use of temperature indicators on the level of single or combined pack will ensure constant measurement of monitored product and will indicate the possible cold chain break.
 

In countries of the European Union, there is a duty of monitoring of temperature inside the means of transport, and storing temperatures of products deeply frozen. Deeply frozen food is the food that is treated by so-called – deep freezing , in which the zone of maximum crystallization is exceeded as quick as possible, and the final temperature of a product after thermal stabilization is constantly kept on the level of -18˚C or lower. In the countries of the European Union there are two regulations describing the production conditions and storage of food. These are Regulation no 852/2004 passed by the European Parliament and Council from the 29th of April 2004, establishing the special rules concerning hygiene as regards food derived from animals.