《系统工程》课程教学资源（英文文献）A System Dynamic Model to Support Cold Chain Management in Food

A System Dynamic Model to Support Cold ChainManagement in Food Supply ChainGuide Words: Distribution management system, Time-Temperature Integrators, Food safety, FoodSecurityAbstract:The incidence of food borne disease has recently increased in Europe, due to the unsuitableproduct processing, packaging, distribution and storage. This problem is particularly important formeat products,wherethe cold chainmanagementplaysa strategicroleforthequalityof theproductarriving to the consumers' home. In this context different technologies like RFID or TTI can help tokeep the quality of food under control. In this paper a project about the building of a simulation modelfor CCM is presented.LINTRODUCTIONThe weakest link that affects directly safety and quality of chilled products is the actual coldchain. Meat products, unless processed, packaged, distributed and stored appropriately can spoil inrelatively short timeand when temperatureabusedcause apotential hazardfortheconsumerApplication of an optimized quality and safety assurance system for chilled distribution of fresh meatand meat products requires continuous monitoring and control of storage conditions from productiontoconsumption.In the last decade, the incidence of food borne disease has increased in Europe, despite theintroduction of Practice and Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP) and the proliferationof food safety regulations. The increasing international competition in food manufacture and trade, thestricter consumer demands and the social changes, combined to the recent food borne outbreaks (i.eBSE)stress the need formoreeffectivefood qualityand assurance systems.Another important aspect in the food chain logistic is related to the product expiry date. To foodproducers, in fact, the date they use on a food generally represents the time at which the loss ofdesired quality occurs based on the percentage of consumers they are willing to displease for a givendistribution. To food retailer the date represents a tool by which they exercise practices regarding howfast to move the product to get it into the consumer's home before it spoils. Thus if the temperature isnot maintained properly and/or the food is contaminated with a pathogen, (i.e Listeria that can growup also at -1 C) the food may spoil before the date leading to a disgruntled consumer or moreimportantly to a food poisoning incident.Setting a date thus becomes a problem if the food product is temperature sensitive as all

A System Dynamic Model to Support Cold Chain Management in Food Supply Chain Guide Words：Distribution management system, Time-Temperature Integrators, Food safety, Food Security Abstract：The incidence of food borne disease has recently increased in Europe, due to the unsuitable product processing, packaging, distribution and storage. This problem is particularly important for meat products, where the cold chain management plays a strategic role for the quality of the product arriving to the consumers’ home. In this context different technologies like RFID or TTI can help to keep the quality of food under control. In this paper a project about the building of a simulation model for CCM is presented. I. INTRODUCTION The weakest link that affects directly safety and quality of chilled products is the actual cold chain. Meat products, unless processed, packaged, distributed and stored appropriately can spoil in relatively short time and when temperature abused cause a potential hazard for the consumer. Application of an optimized quality and safety assurance system for chilled distribution of fresh meat and meat products requires continuous monitoring and control of storage conditions from production to consumption. In the last decade, the incidence of food borne disease has increased in Europe, despite the introduction of Practice and Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP) and the proliferation of food safety regulations. The increasing international competition in food manufacture and trade, the stricter consumer demands and the social changes, combined to the recent food borne outbreaks (i.e. BSE) stress the need for more effective food quality and assurance systems. Another important aspect in the food chain logistic is related to the product expiry date. To food producers, in fact, the date they use on a food generally represents the time at which the loss of desired quality occurs based on the percentage of consumers they are willing to displease for a given distribution. To food retailer the date represents a tool by which they exercise practices regarding how fast to move the product to get it into the consumer’s home before it spoils. Thus if the temperature is not maintained properly and/or the food is contaminated with a pathogen, (i.e Listeria that can grow up also at -1 °C) the food may spoil before the date leading to a disgruntled consumer or more importantly to a food poisoning incident. Setting a date thus becomes a problem if the food product is temperature sensitive as all

refrigerated foods are.Does one set the end date timefor the optimal temperature in distribution,foran effective temperature for the distribution or for an abuse temperature which could lead tosignificant waste, ie. throwing good food out? A food if not held at proper temperature distributionconditions to meet the legality of that date, i.e. if abused by improper transportation and storagetemperatures, would become both misbranded (the date is a lie) and potentially adulterated if thedistribution is such that pathogens not able to grow can now reproduce so as to reach a health concernlevel by becoming adulterated.Thus thefood processor must design proper tests to assure that thedateset is defendable in terms of quality and safety. The choice of the type of expiration date is also aproblem, since there are no set standards and one finds many types of dating practices which haveonlypartialusefulnessII.ANALYSISOFTHESTATEOFARTOFTHECOLDCHAINMANAGEMENTFood industry and authorities focus on the development and application of structured qualityassurance systems, based on prevention through monitoring, controlling and recording of criticalfactors throughout the entire life cycle of a product. Despite the improved quality assurance policy, thecold chain of perishable foods, such as meat, suffer from substantial quality losses, mainly due tosignificant deviations from the recommended temperature conditions.Production1IntelligentTransportstoragesystems成ToolsfomonitoringfreshnessCold Chain-ConsumerManagementprotectionStoradTConsume欧RiskanalysiTemperaturecontrolFigure l:Cold Chain ManagementAdrian Dahlenburg defines the Key Issues for Customizing the Cold Chain in the followingpoints:Cold chain integrity: that implies maintain and use the correct temperature.Know the supply chain:that implies the analysis of the characteristics of the product flowthrough the supply chain from producer to consumer and identify/understand the impact of actions(planned and unplanned) on product temperature..Food safety: that implies maintain perishable product under the correct temperature conditions

refrigerated foods are. Does one set the end date time for the optimal temperature in distribution, for an effective temperature for the distribution or for an abuse temperature which could lead to significant waste, i.e. throwing good food out? A food if not held at proper temperature distribution conditions to meet the legality of that date, i.e. if abused by improper transportation and storage temperatures, would become both misbranded (the date is a lie) and potentially adulterated if the distribution is such that pathogens not able to grow can now reproduce so as to reach a health concern level by becoming adulterated. Thus the food processor must design proper tests to assure that the date set is defendable in terms of quality and safety. The choice of the type of expiration date is also a problem, since there are no set standards and one finds many types of dating practices which have only partial usefulness. II. ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF ART OF THE COLD CHAIN MANAGEMENT Food industry and authorities focus on the development and application of structured quality assurance systems, based on prevention through monitoring, controlling and recording of critical factors throughout the entire life cycle of a product. Despite the improved quality assurance policy, the cold chain of perishable foods, such as meat, suffer from substantial quality losses, mainly due to significant deviations from the recommended temperature conditions. Figure 1: Cold Chain Management Adrian Dahlenburg defines the Key Issues for Customizing the Cold Chain in the following points: • Cold chain integrity: that implies maintain and use the correct temperature • Know the supply chain: that implies the analysis of the characteristics of the product flow through the supply chain from producer to consumer and identify / understand the impact of actions (planned and unplanned) on product temperature. • Food safety: that implies maintain perishable product under the correct temperature conditions

during marketing, ensuring food safety as well as the routine temperature measurement, meeting oftimeboundtemperaturecriteria.Temperature monitoring: that relies on the checking of supply chain performance, on theidentification of problem areas in the supply chain, on quality management assurance and on theadoption of an insurance against claim, in order to protect Value Chain assets.Product specification and handling:based on knowledge in precise terms what customerswants, on the translation of such requirements into product and handling specifications guaranteeproper Customer Service Level, on the development management and handling procedures to matchthe specifications and check for compliance. Also R&D may be used to fill in the gaps, more effortsshould be posed to develop contingency plans in place to cope with problem situation sand to definereference point for outturn problems and claim.Whan Joo Je [4] in a technical report from Pulmuone Exofresh Logistics Division, clearly identifyas key issues in Cold Chain Management on Fresh Food three interrelated concepts:·Cross Docking,in order to reduceinventories.Consolidation, in order to improve distribution efficiency.A credible Temperature Assessment Method, in order to guarantee quality of the fresh food tothefinal user.In the technical publication upgrading the cold chain for consumer food products, Ronan Gormley[5] presents some Recommendations to the Industry that can be summarized into:.Freeze-chill technology offers logistic advantages in the preparation of chilled' products itenables products to reach more distant markets; it can reduce the number of product recalls.Disposable temperature indicators may have application as part of a cold chain-monitoringprogrammed forfoodcompanies.Intheshorttomedium termtheiruse ismorelikelyonboxes/outers/pallets than on individual retail packs.:The use of Good Manufacturing Practice and HACCP are imperative in the productionstorage, distribution and retailing of freeze-chilled foods.Steve Corcoran [6] in the 2005 Report Evaluating Logistics Chain Technology - AustralianFarmgate to Port outlines the importance of RFID technologies applied to the Cold ChainManagement. Symbol Technologies Australia, he stated, has developed a RFID-based solution tomonitoring the temperature of containers throughout the logistics chain.Active tags attached(internally or externally) to containers can log the temperature, date and time at 1 minute to 18-hourintervals (the interval that a tag logs temperature can be modified as required as a container movesthrough the logistics chain). The temperature log can be extracted from a tag at any point in time toverify that the temperature of a container remained within the required range, and if any breaches intemperature occurred when the breach occurred. This can assist in identifying unacceptable productsbefore unloading of the goods occurs, saving unloading costs and time, and can provide

during marketing, ensuring food safety as well as the routine temperature measurement, meeting of time bound temperature criteria. • Temperature monitoring: that relies on the checking of supply chain performance, on the identification of problem areas in the supply chain, on quality management assurance and on the adoption of an insurance against claim, in order to protect Value Chain assets • Product specification and handling: based on knowledge in precise terms what customers wants, on the translation of such requirements into product and handling specifications guarantee proper Customer Service Level, on the development management and handling procedures to match the specifications and check for compliance. Also R&D may be used to fill in the gaps, more efforts should be posed to develop contingency plans in place to cope with problem situation sand to define reference point for outturn problems and claim. Whan Joo Je [4] in a technical report from Pulmuone Exofresh Logistics Division, clearly identify as key issues in Cold Chain Management on Fresh Food three interrelated concepts: • Cross Docking, in order to reduce inventories • Consolidation, in order to improve distribution efficiency • A credible Temperature Assessment Method, in order to guarantee quality of the fresh food to the final user. In the technical publication upgrading the cold chain for consumer food products, Ronan Gormley [5] presents some Recommendations to the Industry that can be summarized into: • Freeze-chill technology offers logistic advantages in the preparation of ‘chilled’ products it enables products to reach more distant markets; it can reduce the number of product recalls. • Disposable temperature indicators may have application as part of a cold chain-monitoring programmed for food companies. In the short to medium term their use is more likely on boxes/outers/pallets than on individual retail packs. • The use of Good Manufacturing Practice and HACCP are imperative in the production, storage, distribution and retailing of freeze-chilled foods. Steve Corcoran [6] in the 2005 Report Evaluating Logistics Chain Technology - Australian Farmgate to Port outlines the importance of RFID technologies applied to the Cold Chain Management. Symbol Technologies Australia, he stated, has developed a RFID-based solution to monitoring the temperature of containers throughout the logistics chain. Active tags attached (internally or externally) to containers can log the temperature, date and time at 1 minute to 18-hour intervals (the interval that a tag logs temperature can be modified as required as a container moves through the logistics chain). The temperature log can be extracted from a tag at any point in time to verify that the temperature of a container remained within the required range, and if any breaches in temperature occurred when the breach occurred. This can assist in identifying unacceptable products before unloading of the goods occurs, saving unloading costs and time, and can provide

proof-of-temperature when goods pass to third parties. Using RFID reduces the costs of extracting thetemperature log at various points along the logistics chain, which can potentially reduce the costs ofspoilage (by providing prewarning of the impending spoilage or indicate spoilage has occurred beforethe customer has received the goods), as the cost of communications technologies can be spread overmultiple containers. Another important aspect after September 11th, 2001 is related to Food Securitysince in the wake of the terrorism activities over the last years, security fears about the movement ofFreight have heightened. Increased security will increase costs that will flow through the food exportsupplychain.The challenge is to ensure that new security measures facilitate market access and deliveroutcomes commensurate with risk.To meet the“Us 24 hour manifest rule"shipping lines arerequiring exporters to lodge correctly completed documentation 5 days before the ship arrives in Port.TheU.S.BioterrorismActcameintoeffectfromDecember 12, 2003. And now all the exporters to the US must meet strict new guidelines inregistration,record keeping and advancenotification of exports.Exportersface thepossibility ofdelays that can result into a source of hazard for the Cold Chain (more time spent in transit means lesstemperature control).Taoukis presents the principles of a novel chill chain management policy, coded"Safety Monitoring and Assurance System" (SMAS) that are based on product's time-temperaturehistory, with the use of Time-Temperature Integrators (TTI), as model of variation in product'scharacteristics, and the use of predictive models for the growth of food pathogens. This approachallows Supply Chain managers to give priority to products in such a way that risk at consumption timeis minimized and quality optimized. TTI are simple, inexpensive devices that indicate with an easilymeasurable,timetemperaturedependentchange,thetemperaturehistoryandqualitystatusofthefoodthey are attached to. The irreversible change expressed by TTI response is usually a mechanicaldeformation or color development, based on mechanical, chemical or enzymatic systems.Method ued to datePresent State:Non Standardized,Discontinuons Controls(tennoioten)++ProdacerSalesTranspontCustomTTI-avatidTheinpkenentationoftheTime-Tennperatue-luegratortuertlyintodepadkagingThe CoalContimmoustemperatume contol duough mtelligent packFigure 2:Use of TTIMost TTI systems can be appropriately designed either to imitate or to be correlated to foodspoilagebehavior at a target constant temperature.SMAS,compared totheFirst InFirstOut (FIFO)

proof-of-temperature when goods pass to third parties. Using RFID reduces the costs of extracting the temperature log at various points along the logistics chain, which can potentially reduce the costs of spoilage (by providing prewarning of the impending spoilage or indicate spoilage has occurred before the customer has received the goods), as the cost of communications technologies can be spread over multiple containers. Another important aspect after September 11th, 2001 is related to Food Security since in the wake of the terrorism activities over the last years, security fears about the movement of Freight have heightened. Increased security will increase costs that will flow through the food export supply chain. The challenge is to ensure that new security measures facilitate market access and deliver outcomes commensurate with risk. To meet the “US 24 hour manifest rule” shipping lines are requiring exporters to lodge correctly completed documentation 5 days before the ship arrives in Port. The U.S. Bioterrorism Act came into effect from December 12, 2003. And now all the exporters to the US must meet strict new guidelines in registration, record keeping and advance notification of exports. Exporters face the possibility of delays that can result into a source of hazard for the Cold Chain (more time spent in transit means less temperature control). Taoukis presents the principles of a novel chill chain management policy, coded “Safety Monitoring and Assurance System” (SMAS) that are based on product’s time-temperature history, with the use of Time-Temperature Integrators (TTI), as model of variation in product’s characteristics, and the use of predictive models for the growth of food pathogens. This approach allows Supply Chain managers to give priority to products in such a way that risk at consumption time is minimized and quality optimized. TTI are simple, inexpensive devices that indicate with an easily measurable, time temperature dependent change, the temperature history and quality status of the food they are attached to. The irreversible change expressed by TTI response is usually a mechanical deformation or color development, based on mechanical, chemical or enzymatic systems. Figure 2:Use of TTI Most TTI systems can be appropriately designed either to imitate or to be correlated to food spoilage behavior at a target constant temperature. SMAS, compared to the First In First Out (FIFO)

current approach, can lead to significant reduction of the risk for unsafe products and improve qualityattheconsumptiontime.Suchapproachrequires anewmodelingmethodologydesignedtosimulateacomplex logistics network and to ensure interoperability through application of Intelligent AgentHigh-Level Architecture for Distributed supply chain management.III.ASIMULATION MODELFORCOLD CHAIN MANAGEMENTThe need for holistic modeling efforts that capture the extended supply chain enterprise at astrategic level has been clearly recognized first by industry and recently by academia. Strategicdecision-makers need comprehensive models to guide them in efficient decision-making that increasesthe profitability of the entire chain.The determination of optimal network configuration, inventorymanagement policies, supply contracts, distribution strategies, supply chain integration, outsourcingand procurement strategies, product design, and information technology are addressed in strategicdecision-making and are able to affect the long-term profitability of the entire supply chain.In the proposed project it will be adopted the System Dynamics (SD) methodology as a modelingand analysis tool to tackle strategic issues for Meat Cold Chains. In this context, a System is “acollection of elements that continually interact over time to form a unified whole"All the relationshipand connections between its components makes the structure of the system. Dynamics, instead, meansthat the system is constantly changing, and its variables continuously interact to change the systemovertime.System Dynamics is“a methodology used to understand how systems change over time"Theway in which the system's structure varies is called the behavior of the system, so the first caninfluencethe second.SystemDynamics helps us to analyze the relationship between a system'sstructure and its behavior, and so how it answers to any perturbation. Often the analyzed systems arefeedback ones, wherefeedback is the process in which a change in a variable leads to a decision andthen an action that affect itself. A feedback can be positive (it drives growth and change) or negative(it negates changes and stabilizes systems).For these reason System Dynamics is suitable foranalyzing the CCM, that is made by different players and influenced by different factors and whereproducts, meat in this case, have peculiarities that decade continuously. We are interested inunderstanding and analyzing how perturbation of the environmental condition will affect the futurestate of the product, so in finding and understanding all the positive feedback.From the tactical and operative point of view is necessary to consider some peculiar aspect of theMeat Cold Chain; in such Supply Chain any changes in time-distance or temperature in the chaincould cause the net present value of the activities and their added to be perturbed. In reality theperturbations can be robust. The natural question arises is to what are the effects of some perturbationsin a supply chain, in its production or distribution part, on the stability of perishable goods in suchsystems and what is the appropriate control which keeps the product on the required level of qualityand quantity at the final delivery. These analyses are especially important to assure the stability of cold

current approach, can lead to significant reduction of the risk for unsafe products and improve quality at the consumption time. Such approach requires a new modeling methodology designed to simulate a complex logistics network and to ensure interoperability through application of Intelligent Agent High-Level Architecture for Distributed supply chain management. III. A SIMULATION MODEL FOR COLD CHAIN MANAGEMENT The need for holistic modeling efforts that capture the extended supply chain enterprise at a strategic level has been clearly recognized first by industry and recently by academia. Strategic decision-makers need comprehensive models to guide them in efficient decision-making that increases the profitability of the entire chain. The determination of optimal network configuration, inventory management policies, supply contracts, distribution strategies, supply chain integration, outsourcing and procurement strategies, product design, and information technology are addressed in strategic decision-making and are able to affect the long-term profitability of the entire supply chain. In the proposed project it will be adopted the System Dynamics (SD) methodology as a modeling and analysis tool to tackle strategic issues for Meat Cold Chains. In this context, a System is “a collection of elements that continually interact over time to form a unified whole”. All the relationship and connections between its components makes the structure of the system. Dynamics, instead, means that the system is constantly changing, and its variables continuously interact to change the system over time. System Dynamics is “a methodology used to understand how systems change over time”. The way in which the system’s structure varies is called the behavior of the system, so the first can influence the second. System Dynamics helps us to analyze the relationship between a system’s structure and its behavior, and so how it answers to any perturbation. Often the analyzed systems are feedback ones, where feedback is the process in which a change in a variable leads to a decision and then an action that affect itself. A feedback can be positive (it drives growth and change) or negative (it negates changes and stabilizes systems). For these reason System Dynamics is suitable for analyzing the CCM, that is made by different players and influenced by different factors and where products, meat in this case, have peculiarities that decade continuously. We are interested in understanding and analyzing how perturbation of the environmental condition will affect the future state of the product, so in finding and understanding all the positive feedback. From the tactical and operative point of view is necessary to consider some peculiar aspect of the Meat Cold Chain; in such Supply Chain any changes in time-distance or temperature in the chain could cause the net present value of the activities and their added to be perturbed. In reality the perturbations can be robust. The natural question arises is to what are the effects of some perturbations in a supply chain, in its production or distribution part, on the stability of perishable goods in such systems and what is the appropriate control which keeps the product on the required level of quality and quantity at the final delivery. These analyses are especially important to assure the stability of cold

chains in the cold chains management (CCM). What conditions should be fulfilled to assure that aftersuchrobustperturbationsofparametersand especiallytimedelays(lead times andsomeotherdelays)thebehaviorofthe logistics chainwould still be withintheprescribed limits.At the present, meat is managed according to the FIFO approach and sometime this can beinefficient. In fact, if it were possible to know the conditions of all the cuts of meat inside thebutcher's warehouse, it would be possible to choose a different sales strategy. As example, the cutsnearer to deterioration could be sell at first, or different classes of product (first-rate, second-rate andfor cooking)having different prices could be established. In this way, the customersexpectationwould not be come up, since if they have not the expected quality they could have chosen the wrongclass, and all the players involved in the chain can optimize their yield.The aim of this research project is to develop credible models to help managers in the Meat ColdChain decision making process as well as to create a demonstrator of the applicability of the proposedmethodologies (i.e. TTI). The project will capitalize and expand on the scientific state of the artapproach of mathematical modeling of dominating meat pathogens and translate this knowledge intoSystem requirements directly applicable for the industry. Both strategic and tactical aspect of theCCM will be considered by applying System Dynamics and High Level Architecture modelingparadigm.The major expected achievements of the project will be:: Accurate, validated mathematical models for safety and quality related microorganisms of readyto cook meat products.Theywill provide themeat industrywithatoolfor productdevelopment andsafety assurance and the European authorities with a quantitative means for meat product riskevaluation.· Improved distribution logistics and management of the meat chill chain from the application of aSafety Monitoring and Assurance System (SMAS) that could replace the current “First In First Out"(FIFO)practice.: Increased ability of the meat sector to control its weak links, by provide the industry with testedand ready applicable models for supporting CCM Design and rapid Decision making. Wide availability of state of the art information, from the project and other reliable sources (i.evalidated mathematical models for pathogen growth, data for pathogen prevalence and concentration,distribution temperature profiles, dose response data, inactivation models, TTI and SMAS application)for Risk Assessment of specific meat products, through the establishment of an effective InternetPortal.The project will be divided into different phases: the first one will be devoted to data collectionand functional analysis of the current applied EDI platform for supporting strategically and tacticaldecision making, best practice formalization and benchmarking of the currently applied solutions. (ASIS).Then there will be theformalization of the new management process with particularreferences toupcoming monitoring technologies (i.e. TTI, RFID) and cross validation of the proposed models. An

chains in the cold chains management (CCM). What conditions should be fulfilled to assure that after such robust perturbations of parameters and especially time delays (lead times and some other delays) the behavior of the logistics chain would still be within the prescribed limits. At the present, meat is managed according to the FIFO approach and sometime this can be inefficient. In fact, if it were possible to know the conditions of all the cuts of meat inside the butcher’s warehouse, it would be possible to choose a different sales strategy. As example, the cuts nearer to deterioration could be sell at first, or different classes of product (first-rate, second-rate and for cooking) having different prices could be established. In this way, the customers’ expectation would not be come up, since if they have not the expected quality they could have chosen the wrong class, and all the players involved in the chain can optimize their yield. The aim of this research project is to develop credible models to help managers in the Meat Cold Chain decision making process as well as to create a demonstrator of the applicability of the proposed methodologies (i.e. TTI). The project will capitalize and expand on the scientific state of the art approach of mathematical modeling of dominating meat pathogens and translate this knowledge into System requirements directly applicable for the industry. Both strategic and tactical aspect of the CCM will be considered by applying System Dynamics and High Level Architecture modeling paradigm. The major expected achievements of the project will be: • Accurate, validated mathematical models for safety and quality related microorganisms of ready to cook meat products. They will provide the meat industry with a tool for product development and safety assurance and the European authorities with a quantitative means for meat product risk evaluation. • Improved distribution logistics and management of the meat chill chain from the application of a Safety Monitoring and Assurance System (SMAS) that could replace the current “First In First Out” (FIFO) practice. • Increased ability of the meat sector to control its weak links, by provide the industry with tested and ready applicable models for supporting CCM Design and rapid Decision making. • Wide availability of state of the art information, from the project and other reliable sources (i.e validated mathematical models for pathogen growth, data for pathogen prevalence and concentration, distribution temperature profiles, dose response data, inactivation models, TTI and SMAS application) for Risk Assessment of specific meat products, through the establishment of an effective Internet Portal. The project will be divided into different phases: the first one will be devoted to data collection and functional analysis of the current applied EDI platform for supporting strategically and tactical decision making, best practice formalization and benchmarking of the currently applied solutions. (AS IS). Then there will be the formalization of the new management process with particular references to upcoming monitoring technologies (i.e. TTI, RFID) and cross validation of the proposed models. An

HLA federation able to quantitatively model a Cold Chain Management System will be designed andit hasto be integrated withthe StrategicallyCCMModel (implemented via System Dynamicsapproach). Topic addressed will be mainly related to Food Safety, Food Security, Food Traceabilityand Quality Assurance. Models will cover the pathogenic growth, the temperature control systemrobustness, the logistic organizational and economical aspects, the technological integration issues aswell as the social impact of the proposed methodologies (Perceived Customer's Quality,MarketConfidence,National Health SystemCosts).The third phase will be the verification and validation of the HLA and SD through comprehensiveexperimental campaign, formalization of the TO BE process for the future implementation into aninnovative ERP system for the CCM.The overall results of the project will be evaluated by mean ofthe results upcoming from the simulation models previously implemented. Case studies will beadoptedforcritical revision.At the same time there will be a result dissemination and Internet Portal implementation, on a firstrelease the portal will serve as common repositoryfor researcher's document exchange and as test bedfor testing traceability of technological innovative solutions (i.e Web Services, SMS-Info Product OnDemand, etc.). In the last part of the project will be opened to the entire scientific and industrialcommunityinorderto serve asknowledgebaseand permanenttechnological demonstrator.Webtutorials on the innovative methodologies (i.e. SMAS) and technologies (i.e. RFIS, TTI) potentialswill beavailablefreely.IV.CONCLUSIONThe need to assure the quality of food, both clear (smell, color) and hidden (pathogen), to the finalconsumer is the main goal of every subject involved in the supply chain, especially when the food hasto be stored and processed under particular conditions. This is true for meat, that needs to be always atthe right temperature: modern technologies help to manage the Cold Chain, as example RFID canmonitor the temperature that the food has been exposed to throughout its lifeA project will start to build a simulation model able to help the Cold Chain Managementoptimization using these new instruments

HLA federation able to quantitatively model a Cold Chain Management System will be designed and it has to be integrated with the Strategically CCM Model (implemented via System Dynamics approach). Topic addressed will be mainly related to Food Safety, Food Security, Food Traceability and Quality Assurance. Models will cover the pathogenic growth, the temperature control system robustness, the logistic organizational and economical aspects, the technological integration issues as well as the social impact of the proposed methodologies (Perceived Customer’s Quality, Market Confidence, National Health System Costs). The third phase will be the verification and validation of the HLA and SD through comprehensive experimental campaign, formalization of the TO BE process for the future implementation into an innovative ERP system for the CCM. The overall results of the project will be evaluated by mean of the results upcoming from the simulation models previously implemented. Case studies will be adopted for critical revision. At the same time there will be a result dissemination and Internet Portal implementation, on a first release the portal will serve as common repository for researcher’s document exchange and as test bed for testing traceability of technological innovative solutions (i.e Web Services, SMS-Info Product On Demand, etc.). In the last part of the project will be opened to the entire scientific and industrial community in order to serve as knowledge base and permanent technological demonstrator. Web tutorials on the innovative methodologies (i.e. SMAS) and technologies (i.e. RFIS, TTI) potentials will be available freely. IV. CONCLUSION The need to assure the quality of food, both clear (smell, color) and hidden (pathogen), to the final consumer is the main goal of every subject involved in the supply chain, especially when the food has to be stored and processed under particular conditions. This is true for meat, that needs to be always at the right temperature: modern technologies help to manage the Cold Chain, as example RFID can monitor the temperature that the food has been exposed to throughout its life. A project will start to build a simulation model able to help the Cold Chain Management optimization using these new instruments