Thermochromic pigment quality indicators and non-contact temperature mapping for ice cream storage

Overview

This solution addresses two persistent challenges in the ice cream industry: limited visibility into product quality during the distribution cycle and inefficient cooling settings in cold storage and transport vehicles. By integrating thermochromic pigments on packaging with advanced non-contact temperature mapping techniques, the approach delivers a visual quality indicator for consumers while enabling precise, data-driven temperature management for operators.

The thermochromic component provides an interactive cue that changes color in response to ice crystallization, giving customers a transparent signal of quality changes. The temperature mapping component uses non-contact optical methods to accurately measure surface and ambient temperatures across storage environments, allowing operators to dynamically adjust cooling settings rather than relying on fixed or conservative thresholds. Together, these capabilities support reduced energy consumption while maintaining product integrity.

Technical specifications

Thermochromic quality indicator:

• Pigments applied directly to ice cream packaging surfaces
• Color change triggered by ice crystallization events
• Calibrated to align visual changes with specific quality thresholds
• Designed for application across multiple package formats and ice cream types

Non-contact temperature mapping:

• Candidate methods include Laser-Induced Fluorescence Thermometry, Raman Spectroscopy, and Infrared Thermography
• Enables spatial temperature profiling of cold storage facilities and transport vehicles
• Supports dynamic adjustment of cooling settings based on real-time mapping data
• Validated against measured package surface temperature variations

Operational benefits:

• Improved transparency and customer awareness of product quality
• Reduced energy consumption through optimized cooling
• Maintained product quality during transportation and storage
• Data foundation for broader industry adoption and efficiency improvements

Technology readiness level

Prior research by the applicants has confirmed that thermochromic inks respond effectively to ice crystallization, and calibration work has established reliable color-change thresholds. Industry data and preliminary tests indicate that accurate temperature mapping improves energy efficiency while preserving product quality. Next-stage validation will apply the pigments to a broader range of package types, calibrate thresholds for temperature-driven crystallization, validate color changes against quality shifts, and verify mapping accuracy against measured surface temperatures. Energy consumption reduction and product quality maintenance will be evaluated under dynamic cooling conditions, with findings compiled to support potential industry adoption.