Heat-controlled and temperature-controlled transport describe the same job, and both appear in tenders and contracts. What matters is whether three points are defined.
- Holding the condition. The temperature band does not come from the carrier: food product law, a medicine's licence and distribution rules, or the customer's specification set it.
- Measuring at a point that represents the product. Air, surface and product readings are written separately. FAO asks for monitoring to be continuous where possible (a temperature recording chart) and for records to be reviewed by someone with the authority to act.
- Tying the measurement to the shipment. Loading, transport and delivery records match on the same trip ID, and the incident report names the measurement file.
There are two ways to cool. In an active setup the cold comes from a unit on the vehicle, which suits long uninterrupted routes. In a passive setup an insulated container with pre-frozen eutectic plates works on a standard vehicle; GEBHARDT Isotec TBX is an example; with a refrigerated truck, the truck only needs cooling to 3-8 °C instead of -21 °C. Route duration, door movements and the number of regimes on one trip decide the choice.
After a deviation, correcting the cooling does not release the product. The FAO corrective-action guidance asks for affected product to be dealt with under a written procedure. For measurement and record detail see the cold chain knowledge area.
