• Instant freshness check – OnVu™ time‑temperature indicators show accumulated chill‑chain history of perishables
• Increased consumer convenience and confidence, enhanced brand reputation
• Flexible form – available as ink or labels
• First applications for meat and dairy products

OnVu™ website »

	Instant freshness check – OnVu™ time‑temperatures indicators record the accumulated effects of time and temperature Printable Version [JPG, 350 KB]
	OnVu™ time‑temperature indicators are tailored to the respective products they are designed to monitor Printable Version [JPG, 244 KB]

Under the motto “trust is fine, control is best”, Ciba Specialty Chemicals and FreshPoint are presenting OnVu™, a revolutionary new time‑temperature system for indicating the freshness of perishable goods, at stand A 050 in Hall 6 at the Anuga FoodTec fair in Cologne from April 4‑7.

“Too high temperatures during storage and transport are the most common causes of spoilage of chilled food and beverages,” said Hermann Angerer, Global Head of Ciba Specialty Chemicals’ Coating Effects Segment. “OnVu™ time‑temperature indicators allow producers, retailers and consumers to check at a glance whether perishable products have been correctly stored and supplied. OnVu™ helps to enhance consumer convenience and confidence, strengthen brand reputation and optimize shelf life.”

OnVu™ time‑temperature indicators (TTIs) are supplied either as printing inks or labels and can in principle be used for any product that is sensitive to temperature. They give a visual summary of a product’s accumulated chill-chain history, recording the effects of both time and temperature. Every indicator is tailored to the shelf life and optimum storage conditions of the product it is designed to monitor. By providing essential information on chill‑chain history, OnVu™ TTIs also help to optimize shelf life, since suppliers and retailers will no longer need to discard products prematurely to cover for potential spoilage, caused, for example, by incorrect storage.

OnVu™ TTI technology relies on the properties of pigments that change color over time and when temperatures fluctuate. The label or display consists of a reference color and an OnVu™ TTI. Once activated by a suitable light source, the TTI first becomes dark and then grows progressively lighter as time passes and also if and when the ambient temperature rises. Exposure to higher temperatures than those prescribed, therefore, accelerates the lightening process of the color. When the activated color attains the same shade as the reference, the product has reached the end of its shelf life.

The first OnVu™ TTIs have been designed for the meat and dairy industries. Further applications are planned.

Note for media:

Media briefing at the Anuga takes place on April 6 from 10.00‑12.00 in Conference room E, Congress Centre North.

About Ciba Specialty Chemicals Ciba Specialty Chemicals (SWX: CIBN, NYSE: CSB) is a leading global company dedicated to producing high-value effects for its customers’ products.  We strive to be the partner of choice for our customers, offering them innovative products and one-stop expert service.  We create effects that improve the quality of life – adding performance, protection, color and strength to textiles, plastics, paper, automobiles, buildings, home and personal care products and much more.  Ciba Specialty Chemicals is active in more than 120 countries around the world and is committed to be a leader in its chosen markets.  In 2005, the Company generated sales of CHF 7.4 billion and invested over CHF 300 million in R&D.

About FreshPoint Founded in Switzerland in 2003 on the basis of research done by Professors Yoav Eichen and Dietrich Haarer, the company continues R&D work in labs in Israel and Germany. FreshPoint is active in innovation in the area of smart packaging and the first product to be commercialized is a novel pigment-based time-temperature indicator. Late in 2004 FreshPoint and Ciba Specialty Chemicals signed an exclusive global agreement for the development, marketing and global sales of time-temperature indicators. OnVu™ is a result of this cooperation.

For further information please contact:

Media: Tel:  +41 61 636 4444 Fax: +41 61 636 3019	Investor Relations: Tel:  +41 61 636 5084 Fax: +41 61 636 5111