Hello, and welcome to the coolest community in freight! Here you’ll find the latest information on warehouse news, tech developments and all things reefer madness-related. I’m your controller of the thermostat, Mary O’Connell. Thanks for having me!
All thawed out
Loyola Medicine had a revolutionary accomplishment in the way of organ transplants. Through the TransMedics Organ Care System, aka “Heart-in-a-Box,” a donor heart was able to be preserved in a natural state that mimics the human body. The traditional way of organ transplant transportation involved putting the organ on ice and limited the range it could be delivered to a possible recipient.
The Heart-in-a-Box allows the organ to stay viable for 12 hours, twice as long as the traditional method.
Newswise published a recent example of this tech in action: For a 64-year-old patient at Loyola, “the technology proved life saving. After suffering from heart failure for 13 years, his condition had deteriorated and he was hospitalized at Loyola waiting for a heart. Within days a donor heart that matched his rare blood type was located in another state, but the surgeon set to get on a plane to get the heart fell ill with COVID. Thanks to the extended time provided by the ‘Heart-in-a-Box,’ the Loyola team worked with Transmedics to identify another surgeon who could travel to get the heart before time ran out.”
Temperature checks
Parsyl, a data-powered risk management insurer, has more than doubled to $55 million in capacity, making it one of the largest cargo-only consortiums at Lloyd’s and the only one devoted exclusively to perishable commodities. The Essential Consortium is a multiyear arrangement that will bring new capacity to the perishable cargo market. The consortium will become supporting capacity for Parsyl’s flagship Global Health Risk Facility, which insures vaccines and pharmaceuticals to low-income and developing nations. Parsyl grew its written premium by 500% at an industry-leading loss ratio.
“Emerging from the prestigious Lloyd’s Lab, Parsyl’s journey from conception to delivery has been nothing short of remarkable,” Steve Smyth, Head of Marine, SiriusPoint, said in a news release. “In a short space of time, they have become the go-to insurance partner for clients involved in the pharmaceutical, life science and chilled, frozen and fresh food industry sectors.”
Food and drugs
Enlightened, the champion of frozen yogurt bars in the freezer section, has brought a new product to the freezers of consumers: Frozen Yogurt Bark. For those who have spent any time on Pinterest, frozen yogurt bark isn’t a new concept. It’s just the first time you haven’t had to make it yourself by slamming frozen things down on the countertop.
The new snack is simply greek Yogurt, chocolate and fruit frozen together for quick “better for you” snacking. The new flavors are Triple Berry, consisting of a Greek yogurt and white chocolate base, topped with frozen strawberries, blueberries and raspberries; Banana Peanut Butter, a Greek yogurt and dark chocolate base, filled with peanut butter and topped with frozen banana pieces; and Pineapple Coconut, made with a Greek yogurt and white chocolate base, and topped with pineapple and shredded coconut.
Michael Shoretz, CEO and founder of Enlightened, said in a news release: “We are thrilled to introduce our Frozen Yogurt Bark to the growing frozen snacking category. This new line marks our continued commitment to providing exciting new treats that don’t compromise on taste or nutrition.”
Cold chain lanes
The SONAR chart of the week is a snapshot of Ontario, California, near the ports of LA and Long Beach. Reefer outbound tender volume has hit a peak in Southern California as volumes begin to fall. Just as reefer outbound tender volumes start falling, reefer outbound tender rejections follow suit as rejections have declined 383 basis points week over week. This signals that capacity is loosening, and given that the ROTRI is at 5.39%, contract rates are going to be the move for carriers and shippers as stability begins to return to the market.
Is SONAR for you? Check it out with a demo!
Shelf life
UMaine-led research team making new frozen foods from squid fins
City moves to utilize funds toward Hyde Park and other city facilities
No power, no problem — Preserving the cold chain in Trinidad and Tobago
Ben & Jerry’s launches new non-dairy ice cream flavor: Strawberry Cheezecake
Watch The ColdSnap Countertop Ice Cream appliance in action at CES 2024
Wanna chat in the cooler? Shoot me an email with comments, questions or story ideas at moconnell@freightwaves.com.
See you on the internet.
Mary
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you must be pretty chill. Join the coolest community in freight and subscribe for more at freightwaves.com/subscribe.