Vitsab® International AB received the prestigious Food Safety Innovation Award from the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) at the organization’s annual meeting in July 2023. The global recognition distinguishes Vitsab’s Freshtag® Time Temperature Indicator (TTI) technology as the leading solution for confirming perishable food safety throughout the supply chain.
Simple visual monitoring for complex supply chains
Freshtag addressed a critical gap in the global food distribution network, where perishable products travel long distances and require reliable temperature monitoring that anyone can understand. The postage stamp-sized labels utilize intuitive stoplight technology, displaying green when activated, yellow during the transition phase, and red when temperature abuse renders products unsafe to consume. This visual framework eliminated the complexity of traditional data loggers, making temperature monitoring accessible to food handlers at every level.
Recognition from the global food safety community
The IAFP award came as a meaningful surprise to the Vitsab team, given the company competed against established industry leaders at the annual meeting attended by global industry leaders and organizations focused on food safety. ”Vitsab is very humbled that the global food safety community valued our simple product in such high regard,” said President Jeff Desrosiers. ”After pouring 10 years of hard work into this project, and to receive something so prestigious has been a great honor for our company and Freshtag”.
Proven impact in e-commerce and direct shipping
Freshtag gained significant traction among seafood companies and food distributors managing the last mile of direct shipments to consumers. The spike in e-commerce retail establishments shipping perishables created unanticipated demand that Vitsab’s innovative production capabilities successfully addressed following the team’s attendance at an IAFP event in 2019. Market adoption demonstrated Freshtag’s effectiveness in transforming temperature monitoring from a traditional expense into a profit center, with customers reporting increased order frequency and reduced customer service calls.
Advancing temperature monitoring technology
Building on the success of its core Freshtag platform, Vitsab has outlined plans to adapt its Catering formulation to develop real-time temperature monitoring capabilities. The advanced system will allow each package to be evaluated based on its temperature history rather than arbitrary expiration dates. This approach will maximize profit for companies while reducing food waste and carbon footprint. This evolution reflects Vitsab’s ongoing commitment to improving functionality and diversity of its offerings as a recognized research and development leader in food safety innovation.