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Keen interest in standards
Phil Hastings
London - Asian organisations involved in cold chain logistics are beginning to show more interest in the idea of adopting industry-wide quality standards. For example, an international body called the Cool Chain Association (CCA), which has developed such standards, recently received a request for the details to be translated into Chinese so organisations in China could consider adopting them.
The CCA was established in 2003 with the backing of key cool chain industry figures who believed the business as a whole would benefit from global harmonisation of the way perishables and other temperature-sensitive products (PTSPs) were handled. At the end of the same year, the initial members agreed to create a set of standards for the PTSP industry now known as the Cool Chain Quality Indicator (CCQI).
Since then, membership of the CCA has grown steadily rather than spectacularly to now comprise just over 60 organisations from around the world, primarily airlines, airports, forwarders/logistics providers and cargo handlers. The handful of Asian members includes Aargus Global Logistics (India), Cargo Service Centre India, International Air Cargo Terminal (Japan), Ian Kentfield (Sri Lanka) and Nippon Express Co (Japan).
The CCQI is based on two methods of assessment - mandatory requirements, against which every aspect of a company's perishable supply chain is graded, and a benchmarking system based on key performance indicators.
To date, adoption of the CCQI globally has been fairly slow, although Cargo Service Centre India, which provides air cargo handling, warehousing and security services at five locations in India, earlier this year became the first organisation in that country to secure such accreditation.
Generally, though, admitted CCA chairman Robert Arendal, the overall take-up of CCQI worldwide had so far been slower than originally anticipated.
"We had hoped the process would go faster. But on the other hand, we also have to accept that it takes a little time to get an organisation ready to do it right," he told Cargonews Asia.
However, Arendal claimed there were signs that international interest in the CCQI was now growing and he expected to see some significant progress over the next six months
One potentially significant recent development in that context, he said was the creation of CCQI standards covering the point of sale in the supermarket/retail outlet.
"We have already established the CCQI for the different players in the transport chain - the road transport operators, the airlines, the cargo handlers, etc. That left two elements of the total supply chain missing, the point of sale and the point of origin," he explained.
"We have now included the point of sale following requests from supermarket groups, including some of the leading names in the world, which wanted to see if they could apply the CCQI to their stores. That is very encouraging because retailers, as the customer, will be able to tell the farmers and growers at the point of origin exactly how they want their products prepared prior to transport."
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