XSENSE System

ZESPRI® expands Xsense deployment for 2011 Southern Hemisphere kiwi season
April 2011

After a successful small scale trial during the 2010 Northern Hemisphere kiwi season, ZESPRI® has initiated a broader trial that includes use of Xsense during storage and shipment of kiwis from New Zealand to Asia and Europe.

As a result ZESPRI® will use 30,000 Xsense monitored pallets this year to monitor storage and shipment of both ZESPRI® GREEN and ZESPRI® GOLD to Asia and Europe. ZESPRI’s GM Quality and Innovation David Tanner says “the quantifiable benefits in understanding the temperature history of fruit in the supply chain are very exciting for the industry”. Dr Tanner said using the information gathered by the Xsense system allows ZESPRI to:

• Provide knowledge to support quality and supply chain management

• Improve best practices in all locations of the supply chain

• Implement an improved near real time inventory management system that is based on weighted exposure to temperatures in the supply chain

• Drive innovations in technologies throughout various components in the supply chain (e.g. cooling systems, transport system design, packaging design)

“Since beginning the Xsense trials last year, we have been impressed with the reliability of the system and the quality of the data it delivers. Our aim this season is to gather data from Xsense’s pallet level monitoring right along our supply chain and understand to what extent it can drive improvement,” Dr Tanner said.

Chin Boo Soon, Technical Projects Leader who is overseeing the implementation of the Xsense System at ZESPRI, is already seeing real benefits. “The need for low levels of human intervention is a major plus. As we roll out deployment, our partners in the supply chain will be able to gather critical information and use it to base quality decisions on,” he said.At the end of the season a thorough assessment report will be written highlighting the outcomes of using Xsense.

“ZESPRI is our largest project to date,” remarks Dr. Gary Ward, VP Development StePac. “We are confident that global scale up of the Xsense System can be accomplished smoothly and successfully. All cooperating parties in the supply chain will benefit from vital information that will help reduce waste and deliver the freshest products possible.”

How Xsense® works
Xsensers (active RF sensor tags) are activated and placed in a carton during pallet construction. They immediately begin measuring and recording temperature and relative humidity of the produce’s immediate environment. The data is transmitted by wireless communication to an Xsense Communication Unit (CU) installed at the packing facility which then transmits this data to the Xsense System via standard cellular and/or LAN networks. Temperature-time data of the pallet at the packing house can then be viewed on screen from the secure, Web-based user interface. Among other things this enables precooling processes to be monitored. If a portable CU is placed in the truck, data will be available in real time throughout the shipment. GPS tracking lets you view the geographic progress of the shipment as well. If the transport vessel does not have a CU onboard, Xsensers log data until the shipment reaches a CU equipped facility, where the information is immediately downloaded and viewable onscreen.

Xsensers will continue measuring and reporting data after arrival while pallets are in storage or waiting to move on to the next leg of their journey. Xsense sends real time alerts via SMS or email when preset temperature and humidity thresholds are breached. All participating parties can view data accumulated during the shipment, dependent on the level of transparency and information exchange agreed upon.

PPECB recognizes Xsense
December 2010

The Perishables Produce Export Control Board (PPECB) of South Africa has granted its seal of approval to the Xsense System. The certificate signifies that the PPECB has approved the Xsense System for use in perishable cargos and will be circulated to all South African Exporters.

Smart Food Distribution with Xsense
July  2009

According to Dr. Jean Pierre Emond of the UF/IFAS Center for Food Distribution and Retailing, University of Florida, the use of systems like Xsense that monitor temperature and humidity and transmit their data in real time is probably the most significant change in the produce industry in the last 20 years. Retailers can now implement First Expired First Out (FEFO) management, potentially saving millions of dollars annually.

Sustainable Supply of Fresh Fruit & Vegetables - a case study by UNIVEG
November 2009

Hein Deprez, Chairman of the Board, UNIVEG Group of Companies, recently gave a presentation at the Climate-Smart Conference held in Lund, Sweden outlining his company's position and activities regarding responsible environmental practices and how Xsense is helping them to reduce food waste.

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MTEX Reduces Arrival Rejections to Zero with Xsense
July 2010

Mehadrin Tnuport Export was an early adopter of the Xsense Cold Chain Monitoring System almost two years ago. This case study illustrates how it's helped them to reduce waste and strengthen their brand.

XSense for Alara
February 2010

Alara gains competitive edge with Xsense perishables monitoring system

Alara Agri Business, a company belonging to the UNIVEG group, announces today that they are using the Xsense™ Perishables Quality Monitoring System from StePac L.A. Ltd., a DS Smith PLC company.

StePac Exudes Confidence
EuroFruit; January 2010

Although the economic crisis has made life difficult for packaging companies, StePac CEO Israel Ben Tzur says that the company expects to see steady growth in 2010.

Xsense nominated for Fruit Logistica Innovation award 2010
January 2010

The Xsense Cold Chain Monitoring System was developed by StePac as part of its strategy to provide systems-based solutions to the post-harvest industry.