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Emerging trend of cold chains to meet consumers' demands
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Thursday, 27 May, 2021, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Ashwin Bhadri
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As a food manufacturer or foodservice provider, you know that if you don't deliver the freshest food in the shortest time and safest manner possible, there are going to be some pretty unhappy consumers. Well those consumer expectations are increasing all the time.
There's a need for longer food shelf life, a consumer demand for the freshest products and a growing desire to know exactly where the item came from. Enter Cold Chains!
Cold chains are a type of supply chain that specialises in the preservation, storage and transport of cargo that has to be maintained at a specific temperature or within an acceptable temperature range.
Cold chains are crucial in the storage and transport of the following products:
Food & Beverages
? Fruits & vegetables
? High-end foodstuffs
? Meat & seafood
? Poultry & dairy
? Processed & ready-to-eat food
Medical Goods
? Vaccines
? Healthcare products & pharmaceuticals
? Biologics meant for medical research (tissue samples, live cultures)
Temperature-sensitive Chemicals
? Paint
? Volatile chemicals
Broadly, there are four main components of cold chain, each of which must work perfectly in order to ensure safe storage and transport of cold chain products:
Temperature-controlled storage
Specialised facilities or refrigerated units to store the cold chain cargo until it’s shipped out to a distribution center or its destination. Here are some modern options offered today for better longevity and quality.
? Blast Freezers:
For restaurateurs and hoteliers, a blast freezing chiller was a game-changer. It added value to the kitchen as they could now stock vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods for a longer period of time without losing their texture and quality.
Blast freezers can literally freeze meat at 70 °C (158 °F) to about 3 °C (37 °F) in less than an hour and a half. This prevents any bacterial growth and maintains the texture and flavour of meat and other food items.
Ice-made items also benefit from a blast freezer, maintaining the utmost flavour and texture for a prolonged time, and increasing their expiration life.
? Cold Rooms:
Cold rooms serve as an improved customisable option for storage for industries where large scale products need to be kept for a long time. Cold rooms are designed in such a way that they have an easily alterable rack and tray structure for a variety of products. They are used as ripening chambers for various fruits and vegetables and are highly automated for temperature control. Cold rooms are widely used across various industries as a staple cold storage alternative in India.
? Plant Attached Cold Warehouse:
On-site cold storage plants are also gaining popularity among large and medium-scale food producers, helping them move goods in and out of the cold storage plant on demand.
As a part of the supply chain process, the cold storage plant is added as an extension to the warehouse. It proves to be quite helpful in protecting products that deteriorate rather quickly, or are chemically reactive at room temperature.
Moreover, attached cold storage plants like these allow for stocking raw materials and increase the production capacity.
? Pharmaceutical Grade Cold Warehouse:
Pharmaceutical companies are required to have specialised cold warehouses for different medicinal products and chemicals in order to prevent unforeseen chemical reactions.
It boasts a precise temperature setting and a specialised design that can cater to various medical products, and maintain their physical and chemical composition for longer durations.
? Customised Cold Storage Spaces:
As technology evolves, products made across all industries will also evolve, and so will their storage needs.
However, the cold storage manufacturers in India aren’t falling behind. With new and enhanced integrated cooling technologies available, it is possible to design unique cold storage structures to serve any and all industry requirements.
Temperature-controlled Transport
Specialised insulated cold containers that help transport goods via roadways, waterways, airways, or railways.
Temperature-controlled transport is generally segmented into the following temperature ranges:
? (-28 °C to -30 °C) Deep freeze — meat exports, seafood.
? (-16 °C to -20 °C) Frozen — meat, certain product types.
? (2 °C to 4 °C) Chill — fresh meat, fruit & vegetables, certain dairy products.
? (2 °C to 8 °C) Pharma — vaccines, medicines.
? (12 °C to 14 °C) Cool-chain — processed food, fresh produce, over-the-counter drugs.
It would have been very difficult for transporters to achieve ideal temperature-controlled shipping conditions and transport goods at these ranges had it not been for the development of new techniques and technologies:
? Properly insulated containers
? The right reefer unit for the job
? Proper use of chutes, bulkheads
? Quality equipment: emissions-compliant trailers for optimal cost and fuel-efficiency.
Temperature-controlled transport alternatives provide modern businesses the confidence and flexibility to develop global supply chains for perishable, temperature-sensitive goods.
Trained And Diligent Personnel
People who are familiar with the complications of handling sensitive cold chain cargo. Industries conduct proper training sessions for drivers and personnel so that they have a firm grasp of proper loading techniques and ability to use the available cold chain technology to its maximum capacity.
Efficient Operational and Management Procedures
To mitigate risk during day-to-day procedures, as well as contain it in case of unexpected incidents.
Modern-day technological innovations one can benefit from:
? Real-time tracking using GPS technology offers precise temperature monitoring
? Active monitoring adjusts temperature in case there is a fluctuation
? Passive monitoring gives a report at the end of the trip
? Barcode inventory tracking systems – down to individual items
? RFID devices that can be embedded into individual items or pallets.
Benefits of Cold Chains
The cold chain is important to improving global food security. It aids in supplying medicines and better nutrition to the remotest regions of the world, along with further scientific and medical research through the reverse cold chain.
Efficient cold chain logistics are vital to retail service providers and franchisors who are willing to build global networks and benefit from the growth opportunities in emerging markets.
Some of the advantages that effective cold chains provide to modern businesses are:
? Reduced product spoilage — which results in reduced inventory replacement costs and increased revenue per shipment.
? Less likelihood of damaged products reaching customers — which means fewer PR and legal liabilities.
? Better product consistency and quality — which means better customer service and satisfaction.
? Greater range of transport — which helps boost exports and open new market opportunities.
? Better regulatory compliance — especially in the transport of medicines and food products, with more stringent regulations that are being strictly enforced across the globe.
The trend is here to stay
In 2017, the cold storage industry was worth Rs 952 billion and is estimated to grow up to Rs 2,293 billion by 2023. That’s over 120% in just 5 years. With over 70% of the world’s population residing in emerging or developing economies, there are massive business opportunities for companies willing to tap the potential of these markets.
Enterprising companies are eager to take advantage of modern temperature-controlled logistics that push the envelope, transporting huge volumes of more sensitive products over greater distances.
Considering the rate at which India is growing as an exporter of food products, there is a surging demand for better storage and logistics options. Needless to say, this trend is here to stay.
(The author is CEO of Equinox Labs)
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