Why The Food Industry Needs Cold Chain Logistics
Global agriculture currently produces enough food to feed up to 10 billion people. Yet, despite this abundance, approximately one billion people still face food insecurity. The issue isn’t food production; it’s food distribution. Much of the food produced is lost or wasted before it ever reaches consumers, largely due to inadequate storage and transportation infrastructure.
Cold chain logistics, which involves temperature-controlled storage and transportation, is needed to preserve perishable goods from harvest to consumption. By reducing spoilage, extending shelf life, and improving food safety, cold chain systems can enhance global food distribution and help ensure that more people have consistent access to nutritious food.
Benefits of Cold Chain Logistics in the Food Industry
Cold chain logistics refers to the process of managing the temperature of perishable products, like food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, from the point of origin to the point of consumption. It involves a series of refrigerated production, storage, and distribution activities, along with necessary equipment and logistics, to keep a product’s environment temperature-controlled and maintain a desired low-temperature range.
In the food industry, cold chain logistics is critical for several reasons. It ensures the safety and quality of perishable goods by preventing bacterial growth and spoilage, while also preserving the nutritional value and taste of food products. Additionally, it is essential for meeting food safety regulations and standards, helping guarantee that consumers receive high-quality, safe products.
Here are other key benefits of implementing cold chain logistics to the food industry.
Increased Shelf Life
Approximately a third of the food produced goes to waste before it even arrives in your kitchen. In fact, around 30-40% of all US food supply purchased goes to waste. So when you think about your grocery bills being out of control, remember that the annual cost of food waste is $2.6 trillion.
The majority of food spoilage is caused by lack of proper refrigeration throughout the supply chain. Food stored around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, even if it’s only for an hour, will spoil much quicker than food stored around 33 degrees Fahrenheit throughout its entire journey. Introducing refrigeration to different areas of the supply chain to keep food at a steady low temperature throughout the whole process allows food products to arrive safely to their final destination and increases their shelf life.
One cold chain management practice that can help is using temperature monitoring labels on perishable food products. These labels can sense if the product reaches a temperature above the desired low-temperature. The label will change color in real-time and workers will know the product is no longer safe to consume. Workers can monitor when the labels change to better understand where gaps in cold storage may be occurring, and address the issue as needed.
Protecting the Environment
When grocery shopping in the dead of winter, did you ever think it was strange that the shelves were lined with blueberries and watermelons? Where did this produce that is not in season come from?
The answer is a farm, hundreds of thousands of miles away from your local grocer. We understand the concept of transporting food such a far distance has a huge environmental impact, but this is where Supply and Demand comes in. When there is demand for tropical fruit mid-February, someone is willing to supply it. Not only is there a massive carbon footprint getting this food product from Point A to Point B, but it’s even worse when the trip is unsuccessful.
Imagine that a cooler breaks down in a refrigerated truck or no refrigeration was used at all during the journey. The food quality has now been compromised, which will likely result in the food product being thrown away.
When you throw away food, it doesn’t simply just “go away”. It rots in landfills. Food waste emits 3.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is slightly behind the greenhouse gasses China and the U.S. emit. Global warming and climate change aren’t the only issues that are directly related to not using cold chain logistics. There are also all the resources that were used to raise the crops (water, labors, etc.).
Food cold chain logistics practices can greatly reduce the amount of food waste generated, which can lead to a positive impact on the environment.
Encourages Economic Growth
Developing countries depend heavily on agriculture as it is often a stepping stone towards a modern economy. Introducing cold chain logistics could help these countries expand by allowing them to ship their products internationally.
For example, India grows 28% of the world’s bananas but ships less than 1% of their supply due to improper infrastructure. Sometimes this food either rots in the field before farmers can harvest it or spoils while waiting to be sold at an outdoor market. Introducing refrigeration while in transit can help expand the shelf life of these products and encourage economic growth in countries around the globe.
Improve Health
More often than not, food that requires refrigeration contains a lot of important vitamins and minerals. Many people across the planet don’t have access to these vital nutrients. Imagine how much healthier the world could be if nutritious food could successfully reach all of the people who need it.
If executed properly, cold chains allow perishable food to travel thousands of miles without sacrificing quality. Improper refrigeration allows for the growth of dangerous bacteria, such as Salmonella. Proper handling of food throughout the supply chain can save lives, reduce healthcare expenses, prevent lawsuits due to food contamination, and much more.
How Peak Can Help
Peak provides a wide range of products and services designed to optimize mobility and track food products more effectively throughout the distribution process. Wearable barcode scanners and mobile computers that are built for cold environments can withstand frost and condensation all while helping workers improve productivity by avoiding bulky handheld scanners.
There’s benefits to using RFID in cold environments where condensation and other factors can often cause issues like labels being difficult to read under shrink wrap. Because RFID does not require line of sight to capture data, it enables faster and more efficient tracking of goods throughout the supply chain.
Labels and label materials are another critical component of cold chain logistics. Without the right labels, freezing temperatures can cause them to peel, fall off, or become unreadable. Peak offers labels and label printers specifically designed to perform reliably in harsh conditions. In addition, emerging technologies like temperature-sensing labels provide real-time visibility into product conditions, offering new opportunities to enhance food safety and quality control.
Are you considering implementing cold chain logistics in your business? Contact Peak Technologies to schedule a free consultation and learn about our cold chain logistics solutions that could help.
