The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animals & Perishables Board has completed its six week evaluation process of candidates from supporting industries to round out its Time & Temperature Task Force (TTTF). The voluntary 12 member task force was put in place by IATA to improve the logistics of temperature sensitive healthcare freight. The call for candidates in April resulted in an overwhelming response from all quarters of the biopharmaceutical and transportation industries.

The TTTF's first order of business is to establish working groups to categorize and address the '26 points of concern' developed by the cross-industry delegates at the World Cargo Symposium in Rome, Italy last March.

Three working groups have been established whose volunteers from various sectors of the industry will work together to "establish minimum standards for transport and handling of healthcare freight."

The working groups will begin working on the following three interconnected topics:

1. Revising Chapter 17 of the Perishable Cargo Regulations, making it more practical for the user,

2. Establish a Quality Systems Manual (QSM)

3. Work with other organizations such as PCCIG and USP to work toward a consensus for a handling label for time and temperature sensitive healthcare freight.

The task force will meet with the Live Animals & Perishables Board of IATA in Montreal, Canada, in October to report its progress.