Cold is the enemy of many sensitive products, so investing in freeze watch indicators makes good sense. Whether you are shipping produce or pharmaceuticals, running warehouses or labs full of delicate electronics or maintaining rental properties in wintry climates, there's a freeze watch product for you.

Freeze watch indicator suppliers have made use of technological advances to develop freeze watches that range from the simple and inexpensive indicator strip to an electronic freeze watch indicator system with all the bells and whistles. Keep the following considerations in mind when you're looking to buy freeze watch indicators:

1. To protect product integrity for your customer, choose nonreversible freeze watch indicator strips.

2. Monitor temperature ranges throughout the supply chain with data logging freeze indicators and software.

3. Remember that many programmable temperature sensors can warn against excessively high temperatures, undesirable humidity ranges and flooding as well as handling freeze watches.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy wholesale freeze watch indicators for shipping foods and pharmaceuticals

It's critical for end-use customers to know whether some temperature-sensitive foods, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies like vaccines have been exposed to freezing temperatures during shipping, because low temperatures adversely affect quality and potency. Inexpensive freeze indicator strips, applied directly to products or included in packaging, indicate exposure. These simple freeze indicators can't be reset to disguise freeze damage.

I recommend: The trademarked Freeze Watch Indicator from 3M, available for food or microbiology uses, is a transparent, liquid-filled capsule in self-adhesive strip form. Exposed to low temperatures, the capsule breaks and the liquid stains the strip's paper backing. ATI's Freeze Check freeze indicator uses a check mark that disappears when the product to which it's attached is frozen. ColdStix, from PolarTech Industries, undergo a permanent color change

Use software-supported temperature sensors to monitor freeze watches throughout the supply chain

Temperature sensing data loggers provide continuous monitoring of your product as it ships and is stored. You program the temperature parameters, attach tags or monitors to products and download real-time or stored logs with the use of coordinating software. Data loggers allow you to check for excessive heat as well as freeze damage.

I recommend: LogTag Environmental Recorders record and store temperature data on credit-card sized tags and download it to LogTag Analyzer software. There's a visual freeze watch alarm to back up the data logger. Find the 3M Temperature Data Logger with alarm at TheDataLoggerStore from MicroDAQ.com, where you can download analysis software and inquire about bulk discounts.

Invest in an electronic freeze watch indicator to protect equipment and property

If you've ever had a pipe freeze and burst in your basement, you know the damage sub-freezing temperatures can do to property and equipment. Today's freeze watch indicator manufacturers offer reasonably priced, full service environmental monitors to alert you remotely when your greenhouse, warehouse, computer lab or rental property is exposed to sudden drops in temperature. You can program most freeze alarms to detect excessive heat and humidity, water leaks and power failures, too.

I recommend: Environmental alarm systems from TIP TEMPerature Products activate warning lights when the temperature falls below 45 degrees F, and automatically dial up to 3 phone numbers. The SkyLink wireless freeze indicator, available at Home Security Store, Inc., dials up to 9 numbers, and includes remote sensors for up to 15 areas. Both systems feature battery backups and continuous calling until deactivated.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make your customers aware that intact self-adhesive freeze watch indicators aren't meant to be guarantees of quality or flavor; they simply indicate that the product has not been exposed to sub-freezing temperatures.