When it comes to our pets, we want only the best. That’s why it’s important to be confident that the pet products we receive have been properly stored and distributed. Pet owners need to be sure the products they purchase nourish Bosco the Bulldog or Ms. Whiskers Van Kitten and not hurt them. Many businesses turn to 3PLs with ColdPharma expertise to ensure they’re compliant with the many regulations surrounding safe storage and transport of animal wellness products.
What Pet Products Need Special Attention?
In short, all animal wellness products need special attention. Whether it’s animal vaccines or Fido’s special gluten-free, pumpkin spice daily chow, animal products need the same considerations as human products. That’s why forward-looking manufacturers of veterinary foods, and health and wellness products outsource warehousing and order fulfillment to third-party logistics companies who are experts in pharmaceutical logistics (like us).
Housing and Distributing Animal Wellness Products
Just like human products, animal products have a strict set of guidelines and practices, which take them from the moment of production to the consumer preserving optimal freshness and efficacy. To do that, warehouses registered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) follow additional regulations and Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) guidelines for sanitation, training, facility maintenance, hygiene, operations and inventory control beyond requirements for animal drugs, feeds and related products. “Current” is an especially important word here as it requires companies to use up-to-date technologies and systems to be in compliance with the regulations.
Housing and distributing animal wellness products requires an unbreakable cold-chain, sometimes known as a temperature-controlled supply chain. A well-executed cold-chain is critical in preserving product quality and safeguards products from being unsafe. Cold-chain is largely comprised of two stages: storage and transportation.
Storing Animal Vaccines
Most people assume that CRT regulations stay constant for products, but that isn’t true. Different types of vaccines carry different requirements. Not only do you have to adhere to temperature, but you also have to account for light exposure and humidity as well. If both these elements are not considered, or if they are not tracked to ensure they are within regulation, vaccines can be rendered ineffective, or even dangerous. Many vaccines in both small and large animal medicine must be stored in a darker room at a temperature ranging between two and eight degrees Centigrade. These vaccines are required to be stored in a refrigerator that has been certified for use via temperature mapping validations to “prove” proper storage arrangement, real-time monitoring, and temperature/alarm excursion data.
Transporting Animal Vaccines
Once animal vaccines leave storage, they must be meticulously tracked for cold-chain to be maintained. Vaccines should move from storage to transport in insulated coolers with ice packs to maintain storage temperatures are consistent with regulations. They must also be fitted with a temperature-tracking device to safeguard against fluctuations in temperature that exceeds the allotted time limits and temperatures.
There’s a lot that goes into warehousing and distributing animal products safely. Smart companies work with an experienced 3PL so they can feel confident all of their animal wellness products reach tail-waggers and their owners in their safest, most potent formulations. And it doesn’t just stop at animal vaccines and foods. Pet grooming solutions such as shampoos, conditioners and even coat masks, like those from Botaniqa Pet Beauty Solutions, are ones we’re very familiar with!
If you’re looking for a partner who takes pride in keeping pets safe, look no further than Langham Logistics.
