-01.png)
"Every year, approximately 1.3 billion tons of food are lost or wasted around the world - an amount that could feed almost half of the world's population."
- Food Engineering
Food waste in the supply chain
Why is this the case? The short answer is inadequate temperature control for transporting perishable food.
Unfortunately spoilage is not just a food problem. Vaccines and medications require an environment that varies from 36˚F to 46˚F, allowing protection from freezing or overheating exposure.
Too often the temperature of a vaccine shipment fluctuates, either freezing or warming the vaccine to a point it is useless or ineffective. A study conducted in 2007 by PATH, a non-profit global health organization, showed that 75% of vaccines were exposed to harmful temperatures and were unable to be distributed.
"75% of the vaccine shipments were exposed. . . freeze prevention will become increasingly critical for ensuring that the world's children are receiving fully potent vaccine."
- PATH
Freezing temperatures in the vaccine cold chain:
a systematic literature review
At Frosty Tech™, our goal is to solve global cooling problems through eco-innovation. One way to do this is to go back to first principles. How do we effectively transfer excessive heat away from perishables without freezing them?
One way we hope to reduce food and medicine spoilage is through our patented phase change materials (PCMs). Cold packs that contain Frosty Tech’s™ patented PCMs can hold temperatures at 42˚F, 32˚F, 0˚F, or -20˚F for over 72 hours depending on insulation. Our PCMs can store and release large amounts of cooling potential with the same temperature ranges as a typical refrigerator, freezer, or deep freezer.
Often in order to maintain temperature sensitive shipments, shippers will use dry ice, which poses potential hazards to food or vaccines. Frosty Tech’s™ patented cold packs are non-toxic and can be recycled, whether the gel is diluted with water and used as a plant food, or poured down any household drain, without causing any harm.
Frosty Tech™ continues to research and develop sustainable solutions to global cooling needs. Food loss and vaccination spoilage are two major issues that, if resolved, could significantly reduce global hunger and disease.