CMA - Smart Trace Steering Committee Expenses

Summary

Background
The control of temperature during the transportation of red meat products is paramount in ensuring the integrity of the product. The implications of exceeding the desired temperature are that the safety is compromised and/or the shelf life is reduced. Both outcomes are potentially costly to the Australian red meat industry.

At the time this project was funded, the current technology consisted of data loggers that were placed within the load container and/or transport chiller. The most obvious limitation of this technology was that the temperature history of the product was not known until the product was delivered and the data logger was analysed. This did not allow the owner of the product an opportunity to intervene and correct the non-conformity to maintain safety and/or shelf-life.

Ceebron’s proposed Smart Trace system aimed to provide the automatic, real-time monitoring of cold chain distribution necessary for guaranteeing food safety of perishable goods from origin to destination.

Utilising wireless technology, Ceebron’s Smart Trace monitored, recorded, and reported the identity, temperature, door openings, and location by identity, date & time for chilled and frozen foods, beverages, temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals, life science products, etc. to provide time-critical alarms and an independent audit trail.

Research and facilitated adoption

MLA funded a series of MDC partnership projects with the aim of:

Developing the Smart Trace System technology consistent with the needs of the perishable foods industry and to deliver the attributes deemed critical for commercial success, i.e. reliability, affordability and user friendliness.
Validation the functionality of the system via extensive field trials for both terrestrial and offshore perishable consignments (chilled/frozen red meat, other perishables), such that with some further investment in marketing and administration, Ceebron would be able to move into full commercialisation.
Identification and implementation of the most appropriate business model for commercialisation of the technology.
Adoption & Outcomes

Several successful trials were carried out using prototype Smart Trace technology. However, no agreement was reached with a cold chain partner or technology provider to take up this technology. Furthermore, Ceebron (the owner of the IP) were unable to access sufficient further venture capital funding to continue development.

Further development and commercialisation of this technology has now been placed on indefinite hold.

Attempts were made to sell the technology but these were unsuccessful, primarily as other, similar, technologies are now commercially available.

​The A.CIS.0019 and A.CIS.0018 projects covered costs for this sale process.