Securing the Cold Chain with Security Seals: Safeguarding Secondary Packaging for Pharma, Food & Beverages

by Robin Lebovitz, MBA, Cambridge Security Seals

Seals assure customers of tamper-free, hygienic delivery of perishable items. Image courtesy of Cambridge Security Seals

When we think of the cold chain, the spotlight often falls on refrigerated trucks, dry ice, and insulated containers. But the real unsung hero of cold chain integrity is far more modest — and often overlooked. Security seals on secondary packaging are essential not just for theft deterrence, but for ensuring chain-of-custody, regulatory compliance, and product integrity from the first mile to the last.

Security seals protect against tampering, unauthorized access, and diversion of goods. In tightly controlled cold chain scenarios, any breach—intentional or accidental—can render sensitive goods like pharmaceuticals or fresh food ineffective, unsafe, or unsellable. Security seals act as visible evidence of interference, and more importantly, as a signal that the product has been handled responsibly and compliantly from origin to destination.

Cold Chain, Hot Targets: What’s at Stake?

Security seals matter in cold chain packaging:

• Tamper Evidence: Immediate visual indicators are essential for high-value or sensitive items like vaccines, biologics, and perishables, and indicate if a package has been opened or interfered with.
• Product Integrity and Safety: Seals prevent unauthorized access that could lead to temperature excursions or contamination, and ensure that what leaves the manufacturer arrives safely and unchanged.
• Chain of Custody: Seals act as a physical and traceable record of handling from point of origin to destination. Especially important in pharmaceuticals, where audits require documented custody.
• Regulatory Compliance: Many global agencies (FDA, EU, WHO) require tamper-evident packaging for certain cold chain products. Security seals can help avoid costly compliance issues.
• Theft and Diversion Prevention: Seals deter theft and gray market diversion by creating a barrier and a traceable record of access, particularly during last-mile delivery when oversight is lowest.
• Brand Protection and Trust: Visible seals convey branding, control, and commitment to quality and build end-user confidence, especially in medical and food sectors.

Extreme Environments Require Exceptional Solutions

Cable seals are used for large secondary containers or palletized loads; provide durability and visible integrity. Image courtesy of Cambridge Security Seals

Cold chain conditions pose unique challenges for sealing technologies. Adhesives and materials must withstand sub-zero temperatures without failing, while maintaining legibility and integrity despite condensation and high humidity. It’s well known in the industry that standard adhesives often underperform in extreme cold, which is why specialty-engineered seals are essential.

In addition, decentralized logistics environments like last-mile delivery increase the risk of mishandling, further highlighting the importance of a secure, traceable seal. Regulatory oversight — especially in pharma — adds another layer of complexity, requiring packaging solutions that meet strict compliance standards such as the U.S. FDA’s 21 CFR §211.132 for over-the-counter drug tamper-evidence.

Types of security seals fit for cold chain applications include:

• Tamper-Evident Void Tapes and Labels: Designed with specialty adhesives and materials to resist condensation and freezing, these seals leave a message if removed or manipulated, offering strong deterrence. These are especially useful for secondary packaging of high-value perishables.
• Cable Seals: Used for large secondary containers or palletized loads, cable seals provide durability and visible integrity.
• Plastic Seals: Plastic truck seals, tote seals, and pallet seals are identifiable using barcodes or sequential numbering, and can be essential to enclosing medical or pharmaceutical boxes, medical equipment, or perishables in transit or storage.

Real world applications of security seals in cold chain logistics range from pharma to seafood:

• Pharmaceuticals: Use of serialized tamper-evident labels on vaccine shippers was critical during the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine distribution. While GPS-enabled thermal sensors were part of the larger logistical strategy, the role of physical secondary packaging seals was just as critical to ensure cold chain integrity and detect any breach.
• Seafood & Marine-related Applications: Cable-sealed insulated containers deter theft and preserve freshness during transit. Reusable insulated shipping containers can be secured with tamper-evident cable seals to reduce product loss during import or export.
• Dairy and Beverage Distribution: Security seals help maintain compliance and traceability for milk, juice, and yogurt shipments requiring tight temperature controls.
• Meal Kit and Grocery Delivery Services: Seals assure customers of tamper-free, hygienic delivery of perishable items.
• Clinical Trial Logistics: Seals safeguard investigational drugs during transport, ensuring integrity and preventing unintentional exposure or protocol violations.

Plastic truck seals, tote seals, and pallet seals are identifiable using barcodes or sequential numbering, and can be essential to enclosing medical or pharmaceutical boxes, medical equipment, or perishables in transit or storage. Image courtesy of Cambridge Security Seals

Seals as Strategic Advantage

Security seals in secondary packaging are more than accessories; they are strategic safeguards that uphold compliance, safety, and trust in the cold chain. As global demand rises for temperature-sensitive goods — from personalized medicines to prepared meals — packaging professionals must recognize seals as frontline tools, not afterthoughts.

Because sometimes, the difference between safe and spoiled isn’t the insulation or the ice — it’s the small, silent seal that no one sees … until something goes wrong.

About the Author

Robin H. Lebovitz is a Marketing Specialist at Cambridge Security Seals, a NY-based leading manufacturer and supplier of high-performance tamper-evident, high-security, and electronic seals. To learn more about CSS and its high-performance products and outstanding service, please email info@cambridgeseals.com or visit https://www.cambridgeseals.com