BULK HANDLING, STORAGE & LOGISTICS
The three golden rules
of cold chain supply
T
he road from paddock to plate can be a long one in a vast, sun-baked country like Australia. One in three food products are lost or wasted along the way each year, often because of breaks in the cold chain — the refrigerated transport and storage of fresh, chilled, and frozen foods from farm or factory to point of sale. The greater the distance food travels, and the more times a product is transferred between suppliers, transporters, distributors and retailers, the more likely it is that a break might occur in the cold chain, which could cause food to spoil. Cold chain conditions are set for foods relating to the maximum and minimum temperature requirements, and the length of time a food product can be allowed to remain unrefrigerated. Rotating stock to ensure that 38
products are sold before reaching their expiry date is the final rule guiding cold chain supply. An uninterrupted cold chain gives a guarantee that food is safe to eat when it reaches the consumer. Breaks in the chain could affect the quality of the food, and its shelf life, potentially making the food unsafe to eat. Let’s take a closer look at Australia’s cold chain supply rules.
Never warmer than The NEVER WARMER THAN rule governs the maximum temperature at which food should be transported, stored and handled. Chilled foods may also have a KEEP ABOVE temperature to ensure that food is not damaged by being frozen. While food manufacturers and producers are responsible for setting any NEVER WARMER THAN and KEEP ABOVE tem©stock.adobe.com/au/kate_5
This issue is sponsored by – Schneider Electric – http://se.com/au/getreadyformore
