Editorial Staff | Aquaculture Magazine
Swedish company Vitsab International is promoting Freshtag labels for the caviar trade. The color-changing indicators record cumulative time and temperature exposure from processing to delivery and are accepted by the FDA as a critical control point within HACCP plans, according to the company.
Vitsab International AB, a developer of time-temperature indicators (TTIs) with more than 20 years in the field, is highlighting Freshtag labels formulated specifically for caviar. The labels are designed to show whether a product has been exposed to temperature abuse at any point between the processing plant and the final customer, including restaurants, retailers, distributors and home delivery.
A green-yellow-red scale tied to each product’s specifications
Freshtag uses what Vitsab calls “stoplight technology.” The label stays green under safe conditions and shifts to yellow and then red when it detects temperature abuse, following formulations calibrated for each product. Because the indicator is cumulative, it reflects the full temperature history of the shipment rather than a single reading, and it can be read by anyone handling the product without additional tools.
Freshtag records the cumulative time and temperature history of each caviar shipment and displays it as a green, yellow or red signal.
Regulatory fit and operational use
According to Vitsab, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepts Freshtag caviar labels as a critical control point (CCP) for temperature monitoring within a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. The company says the system is compatible with existing food safety and quality management systems and requires no additional equipment at any stage, from harvest and packing through transport to final destination.
Vitsab states that the labels help suppliers identify compromised product, reduce replacement orders and refunds, and support customer confidence in premium products. The company also reports that its Freshtag technology received the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Global Food Safety Innovation Award and is used on more than 1.5 billion perishable products across several categories, including high-value seafood and airline catering.
Frequently asked questions
What is Freshtag?
A color-changing time-temperature indicator label from Vitsab International that records the cumulative temperature history of a perishable product. Vitsab offers a formulation specific to caviar.
How does the label work?
It stays green under safe conditions and turns yellow and then red when it detects temperature abuse, based on product-specific formulations.
Is it accepted within HACCP plans?
According to Vitsab, the FDA accepts Freshtag caviar labels as a critical control point for temperature monitoring within a HACCP plan.
Sources and methodology
Content type: news item written by the Editorial Staff based on a press release from Vitsab International AB, distributed by McNeil Gray & Rice in October 2026. Conflict of interest: Vitsab sells the product described. Note on the data: regulatory acceptance, award and usage figures are as stated by the company; the release does not include independent performance data. Image: Vitsab.
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