What are Time-Temperature Indicators?
When global distribution systems for food began to be widespread, issues surrounding the temperature tolerance of some foods began to surface, with some packaged goods being inedible by the time of delivery. Time temperature indicators are used in food packaging to indicate the freshness and safety of a product. They are designed to assist in stock rotation, consumer identification of food which is safe to eat, and in the monitoring of food supplies. Time temperature indicators are relatively inexpensive, and began appearing on some food products in the late twentieth century. Time temperature indicators take a crucial factor which affects food safety into account. The longer food is kept in poor conditions, which could be extreme heat, freezing, or both, depending on the product, the more likely it is to experience damage which could result in making it unsafe to eat. Many companies warehouse packaged food for months at a time, potentially exposing it to extreme temperature conditions
