Remote Environmental Monitoring and Diagnostics in the Perishables Supply Chain - Phase 1

Abstract : This report details the Phase 1 effort conducted by the University of Florida and the University of South Florida Polytechnic as part of a multi-year, multi-phase effort entitled Remote Environmental Monitoring and Diagnostics in the Perishables Supply Chain. This work was conducted during the period October 2008 to December 2010 and involved the investigation and application of various technologies including wireless temperature sensors, remote monitoring using radio frequency identification (RFID), algorithms, and diagnostics, to demonstrate that ration shelf life can be automatically calculated in real time using web-based computer models. A prototype system including sensor equipped pallet level RFID tags, handheld readers, and computer shelf life models was identified, assessed and developed to determine the remaining shelf life of First Strike Rations based on ration time and temperature storage history.