Ecotact launches Trace IQ to track green coffee shipments in transit

Ecotact has moved its green-coffee business from bag protection to live shipment surveillance. With Trace IQ, the India-based packaging and storage company is pitching a real-time monitoring device for coffee in transit, built for exporters, importers, roasters and logistics partners that need to see what happens between origin and destination before a lot arrives warm, damp or delayed.

The device is designed to track shipment location, temperature and humidity continuously, which matters because green coffee can lose quality long before a bag reaches a warehouse or roastery. Ecotact says Trace IQ brings more transparency, control and confidence to agricultural supply chains, and the product surfaced in entries tied to the Specialty Coffee Association’s Best New Product Awards on May 14, 2026.

Under the hood, Trace IQ reads more like a data platform than a simple tracker. Ecotact lists 4G and 2G transmission, uploads every 30 minutes, storage for as many as 20,000 readings and a built-in 3.7V 3000mAh lithium battery that can run up to 90 days. The unit also includes a light sensor and LBS base-station positioning, with temperature accuracy of ±0.3°C and humidity accuracy of ±3% RH. Ecotact says the device is rated for working temperatures from -20°C to +60°C and working humidity up to 90% RH non-condensing, and can be deployed as either a single-use or multi-use tool.

That spec sheet lines up with a real problem in specialty coffee. Research on green coffee transport has found that prolonged storage and long-distance shipping expose beans to undesirable swings in temperature and relative humidity, changes that can alter moisture content, water activity and sensory character. Studies of coffee shipped from Brazil to Italy have documented measurable changes in temperature, humidity and bean moisture during sea transit, a reminder that conditions inside containers are rarely static.

For roasters and traders, that turns Trace IQ into more than another logistics dashboard. If the data shows a container sat in damaging heat or humidity, buyers can flag risk before the lot is roasted, and exporters can identify where losses started. Ecotact’s broader packaging system already centers on preservation, with its bags built from nine layers of high-barrier, food-grade recyclable plastic resins. Trace IQ extends that promise from passive protection to active proof, giving the supply chain a way to document handling instead of guessing at it after the coffee is gone.