Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

The Naval Logistics Command's supply depot is rolling up its sleeves to distribute fresh rationed items and to enhance food safety.

On March 4th, a spokesperson for the supply depot, which is a food service unit in charge of providing meals for Republic of Korean Navy's naval and land forces, announced “We have been using a microcard for temperature measurement since March, monitoring temperatures of the refrigerated vehicles transporting rationed items in real time in order to ensure that our soldiers can enjoy a variety of fresh foods, including agro-fishery and livestock products and kimchi, in the top condition.”

The card, which is 8.6㎝ wide and 5.4㎝ in length, detects any change in temperature in the space where it is attached in seconds. All changes in temperature recorded in the distribution process can be shown in table and graph form, allowing an operator to notice any abnormality at a glance when the card is linked with a smartphone application.

As well, because the card detects and records any changes in temperature arising from opening the refrigerator door of the vehicle or touching the card artificially, it helps eliminate the possibility of food tampering.

To maintain freshness, chilled foods should be distributed at temperatures below four degrees; for frozen foods, the ideal temperature is minus eighteen degrees. In the past, to confirm that subcontractors are maintaining their refrigerated vehicles at a proper temperature, the temperatures inside the vehicle would be checked while loading or unloading rationed items, and inspections were based on the temperature logs provided by subcontractors. This system obviously had some limitations when it came to ensuring that subcontractors were really maintaining their vehicles at the proper temperature.

To enhance this system, the food service unit benchmarked cards for temperature measurement through tests in general use starting last September, verifying their effectiveness after about one month. The card is now being used by subcontractors, and is attached to thirty military refrigerated vehicles as of this March.

“We should carry out thorough temperature management in the entire distribution process to provide soldiers with fresh and safe rationed items,” said Choi Yong-cheol, commander-designate of the food service unit, adding “We will continue to devote ourselves to providing high quality rationed items.”

By Byeong-No, Yun <trylover@dema.mil.kr >

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