Perishable foods, such as meat, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, among other farm produce, can be enjoyed only when fresh. Therefore, as a business owner or manager, you want to make every effort to deliver them as fresh as possible to the consumer. Besides, the shelf-life of your products, consumers demand the freshest ingredients, making it vital for you to deliver on that demand if you're going to remain afloat in the ever-competitive market.
Flowers, special chemicals, and pharmaceutical products, like fresh farm produce, are also classified as perishable goods, hence why they demand a quality climate-controlled delivery service. Therefore, a strict cold chain is essential in transporting these time, temperature, and packaging sensitive products.
These are transportation measures put in place to ensure optimum quality and freshness of perishables and refrigerated goods from source to destination, regardless of distance. These logistics typically cover everything from:
When transporting perishable food or other refrigerated goods (pharmaceuticals, flowers, or chemicals), several factors should be considered, including:
Some of the cold chain technology employed in refrigerated transportation include:
Perishable goods are likely to spoil, decay, or become unsafe if not stored at specified temperatures. Microbial growth occurs at an optimum temperature, generally 20 to 35 degrees Celsius. Therefore, perishables should be packaged using:
Perishables can be transported by road using refrigerated trucks, rail, and sea, where refrigerated containers with air conditioning are used.
The most recommended transport method is by air. Not only is it a more time-effective method, but with the heightened quality supervision measures, it's unlikely to have undetected faults in packaging or handling.
Note: The transport method determines the time taken from source (farm/warehouse/factory) to destination, inherently influencing the packaging and storage method.
Technology is highly dynamic, and cold chain management isn't any different. It requires a high level of maintenance at all levels, from warehouse refrigeration systems to climate-controlled trucks, and finally, frozen distribution centers. Some key technologies that boost the efficiency of cold chain services include:
On a smaller scale, it's possible to purchase a refrigerated van and fit it with the necessary equipment to make your deliveries. However, not all delivery situations have such limitations to be solved by the smaller vehicle sizes. For bigger jobs, the possibilities open up. If you are delivering large quantities, you might want to consider outsourcing the services of a third-party logistics partner.
Along with handling transportation, you also have to have the resources for shipping and storage. Keeping your products fresh from start to finish requires a larger amount of resources than some businesses have. It’s important to look at the whole logistics process when deciding if you can do it on your own or not.
Third-party logistics partners' primary role is outsourced order fulfillment and transportation operations. It's important to choose a logistics and transportation company that understands your needs and is familiar with the products you need to ship. This ensures they'll be strategic in ensuring the quality of the product remains at its optimum level.
A good perishable goods logistics company isn't necessarily the cheaper option. Trust is the foundation for good business relations. It's therefore essential that you take your time to ensure you get the right partner. You can consider the following:
The logistics around perishables and refrigerated goods and their transportation are costly. Despite being a lucrative business, the losses incurred if the goods perish/spoiled along the way can be huge.
Therefore, it's recommended you get insurance coverage for the purchase order in such an event. With an adequate insurance policy, businesses will have financial support and will not have to risk the economic burdens if products are delivered in poor condition. Notwithstanding, with proper cold chain services, such an event can be mitigated, ensuring overall satisfaction for merchant and consumer.
Some of the industries that use perishable logistics services include:
Government and independent agencies have put measures to ensure adherence to timing, packaging, and temperature regulations. The goal is to effectively transport products from source to destination at optimum quality standards. Some of them include:
With 20+ years of experience with these products and cold chain services, Smart Warehousing boasts special temperature controlled warehouses and our own dry ice produced on-site. We are your one-stop for all your cold chain-related needs. Contact us today to learn more and how we can assist you.