I need help with my assignment paper that was graded so low. It needs to be revised because it's overly quoted as per my professor. I have another chance to submit it. Please see attached.

Cold Chain Technology

American Public University

RLMT 302: Environmental Issues in Reverse Logistics

Professor

December 24, 2023

Cold Chain Technology

In the retail business today, Cold Chain technology plays a big role in an environmentally sensitive supply chain that is time-relative and event-driven, which captures the temperature data and also monitors the factors that affect the shelf-life stability of the products. Sysco and Kroger, one of the leading food businesses are using this Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), a sensor-based system for Cold Chain management. This essay will show how Sysco and Kroger use RFID technology to ensure safe and healthy transport of foods and also follow the federal regulations in cool supply chain business.

How RFID Works in Cold Chain Management

In years China has witnessed a growth, in cold chain logistics with a demand of nearly 200 million tons. However, the current state of cold chain logistics in China still lags behind. The integration of technology can have benefits. It can expand the service offerings of cold chain logistics contribute to the further development and upgrading of trade and also reduce energy consumption and costs. This reduction is particularly crucial for development. Given the progress, in cold chain logistics numerous innovative technologies have been. Implemented for warehousing and transportation purposes (Han et al, 2020).

The research of temperature control technology started early in the 1980s in China. Great progress has been made and attributed to the development of computer sensing technology. Based on RFID technology, a constructed temperature control system for cold chain logistics, established the RFID real-time temperature control model through LabVIEW simulation program, and carried out simulation research (Pi, 2013).

RFID tags attached to individual food items or pallets emit unique radio signals that are detected by strategically placed antennas throughout the supply chain. These signals provide real-time temperature data, allowing retailers to monitor temperature fluctuations, track product movement, and verify supplier compliance.

Federal regulations in Cold Chain Management

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supports state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies responsible for regulating retail food and food service industries in the United States by issuing the FDA Food Code (Food Code), which includes provisions relevant to the control of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). Lm is recognized as an important foodborne pathogen capable of persisting in food processing and retail food environments because of its high salt tolerance and capability of growth at refrigeration temperatures (Barkley et al., 2016). These are the challenges for retail and food service operations like Sysco and Kroger regarding the control of temperature when transferring food deliveries.

According to Liggans et al. (2019), the proper cold holding of foods is one of the safety practices long associated with controlling the growth of Lm in retail food. The Food Code has referenced a cold holding or refrigeration temperature of 5°C (41 °F) or less for foods requiring temperature control for safety-known as time/ temperature control for safety (TCS) foods-to control the growth of pathogens. The problem with this even if the food is held at refrigerated temperatures, bacteria can still grow slowly and with that, food needs to be used or discarded.

Under the Food Safety Modernization Act, one of the FDA’s major rules is the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food Rule, which is intended to prevent practices during transportation that create food safety risks, such as failure to properly refrigerate food, inadequate cleaning of vehicles between loads, and failure to properly protect food (Chappelle & Stevens, 2020).

Conclusion

The incorporation of RFID technology with companies like Sysco and Kroger into Cold Chain Management ensures that there’s a constant and safe temperature when food is being transported from one place to another. It is a crucial step towards ensuring the health and safety of transportation of food in the retail business industry. This innovation also ensures that the company complies with the regulations the government guidelines like FDA, FSMA, and, STHAF. This was a huge step of innovation when scientist started their research for the development of computer sensing technology which is now a trend and is a fundamental device for retail operations in the present day.

References

Barkley, J. S., Gosciminski, M. and Miller, A. (2016). Whole-genome sequencing detection of ongoing Listeria contamination at a restaurant, Rhode Island, USA, 2014. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 22:14741476.

Chappelle, J.S., and Stevens S. K. (2020, November 19). Breaking down FSMA’s sanitary transportation rule. Food Quality & Safety. Retrieved from https://www.foodqualityandsafety.com/article/fsma-sanitary-transportation-rule/

Han, Z., Hua, L., Fang Y., Ma, Q., Li, Y., Wang, J.X. (2020). Innovative Research on refrigeration technology of cold chain logistics. IOPscience. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/474/5/052105

Liggans, G. L., Boyer, M. S., Williams, L. B., Destromp, K. W., & Hoang, S. T. (2019). Food Safety Management Systems, Certified Food Protection Managers, and Compliance with Food Safety Practices Associated with the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods at Restaurants. Journal of Food Protection, 82(7), 1116–1123. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-532

Pi, S.H. (2013) The research of Temperature control system in Cold Chain Logistics Based on RFID. Chang’an University. Retrieved from https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docview/2555461055?pq-origsite=primo&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals