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Some of our projects
• Evaluation of new designs of shipping containers for the transport of chilled and frozen foods.
• Evaluation of wireless tracking systems for the monitoring of temperatures in refrigerated transport and storage.
• Assessment of food safety risks during the supply chain of fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Evaluation of the logistics costs, value chain and hurdles in the movement of fresh mango and fresh egg for the Australian domestic market.
• Feasibility studies on the establishment of meat-derived bioactive industries in Australia.
• Market analyses and technology roadmaps to integrate green technologies in the Australian cold chain.
• Development of testing procedures and validation protocols for cold stores and refrigerated transport equipment dedicated to food and pharmaceutical products. Each of these projects considered the temperature variability, insulation effectiveness and performance of refrigeration plants in the equipment tested.
• Food labelling projects for bakery products and canned vegetables for companies in Mexico.
• “Good Manufacturing Practices” courses developed for companies producing juice and fruit concentrates in Mexico.
• “Safe handling of produce” and HACCP courses for distribution centres supplying to foodservice companies in Mexico.
• Technical advice to manufacturers of phase change materials for the handling of pharmaceutical and food products.
• Workshops for the safe handling of temperature sensitive products during storage and transport (pharmaceutical and food products).
• Development and use of mathematical models to design and evaluate thermal performance of cold stores and refrigerated transport equipment.
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Value Proposition
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Who Can Benefit |
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Case study |
Customized competitive technical intelligence reports |
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FCI is actively involved in national and international scientific and industrial organisations. We are reviewers in renowned scientific journals and we meet with prominent researchers in food science, refrigeration engineering and supply chain technologies in international congresses and forums. Through these activities, we have unique insights on how research and innovation are transforming the food industry. These insights are captured in technical reports that answer questions such as:
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How can disruptive and emerging technologies in the food supply chain affect your business?
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How can technological innovations help improving supply chain efficiencies?
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What is the level of technological activity of your competitors/ collaborators/ suppliers?
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What valuable intellectual property is being held in your supply chain practices, and how you can protect its value through IP strategies such as patenting, trade secret or the "early adopter" advantage?
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How can you integrate innovation as a part of your business strategy?
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R&D providers
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Growers and producers, abattoirs, packing houses
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Food and equipment manufacturers
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Food exporters
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Refrigerated storage and transport, public refrigerated warehouses and third party logistics
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Convenience, fast food chains, supermarkets, warehouse
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Financial sector (insurance, joint venture capitalists, business angels)
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(a) A market analysis for energy saving strategies in the cold chain.
(b) An analysis of the supply chain issues in the Australian mango industry.
(c) A report on the opportunities of producing high value pharmaceutical compounds from meat waste. |
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Consultancy and project management of cold chain projects. Examples include:
• Benchmarking of current supply chain practices with a view to maximise the shelf life and safety of perishables.
• Technical feasibility of innovative technologies in the management of cold chains.
• Development of business cases for improvements in cold chain technology.
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Using our 16 years of experience, we can:
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Provide advise on optimum transport and storage conditions during distribution.
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Investigate cold chain damages in perishable products.
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Calculate freezing and chilling process parameters for sizing or selecting refrigeration equipment.
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Develop robust and scientifically-based validation plans for refrigerated equipment, which can be integrated as a part of your Quality Assurance Systems
- Suggest potential solutions to problematic equipment or operations.
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As above |
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Spoilage risks for perishables delivered in electronic retail-style operations. |
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| Advice on current regulations for the safe handling and distribution of perishables |
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Through our contact with regulatory agencies in Australia and overseas, we can:
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Provide advise on temperature limits required for the transport and distribution of foods, in Australia and overseas
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Provide advise on national standards (AS 4982-2003, AS3711.5-2000) and international standards (European ATP, US ARI Std 1110 2001, ISO 1496-2:1996) for refrigerated transport equipment.
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As above |
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Performance-based validation of refrigerated equipment. |
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| Assessment of environmental footprints of food supply chains |
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A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases, emitted over the full life cycle of a process or product. It is normally expressed as the kilograms of CO2 equivalents
Carbon footprinting requires the use of life cycle analysis to assess the inputs (e.g. materials and energetic resources) and outputs (i.e. methane, nitrous oxide, kg CO2 –e), from "cradle to grave". Therefore, carbon footprinting is closely linked to the mapping of supply chains. |
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As above |
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Development of environmental footprints of food supply chains |
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