Why is Cold Chain Logistics Important for the Transportation of FMCG Goods?

A lot is at stake when temperature-sensitive goods experience environmental changes. Their flavour, quality, consistency, safety, and effectiveness are all on the line

Cold chain logistics (also known as chill chain logistics) refers to the transportation of temperature-sensitive goods, such as perishable foods or beverages. Sometimes companies that manufacture these products face different challenges when delivering their goods to the end customer. This is one of the reasons why many of them choose to work with a cold chain logistics company that is reliable and has all the necessary technologies to ensure a constant temperature for their cold goods.

The cold chain process is very complex, and transportation isn’t the first step. It starts with procurement and then follows every single step of the supply chain, from transport, and storage to delivery. These perishable goods need to be kept at a specific temperature throughout their lifecycle. If the temperature is not stable and constantly rises or falls it can cause a break in the supply chain leading to the premature spoilage of the products.

Cold chain logistics aim to keep these goods at the correct temperature throughout the entire process. This implies proper packaging and refrigerated transport, cautiously chosen transport routes, great timing, and modern tracking to keep an eye on them.

Most of the time we don’t consider how our foods or beverages are transported. We just go to the local store and purchase them, not knowing how they got there. Suppliers and manufacturers of cold goods such as seafood, meat, wine, and other frozen products are paying extra attention to the temperature and the duration of the sale cycle. They understand how critical it is for these products to be delivered in pristine condition otherwise they become unsafe, and the end customer might be at risk for a foodborne illness.

A lot is at stake when temperature-sensitive goods experience environmental changes. Their flavour, quality, consistency, safety, and effectiveness are all on the line. That’s why cold chain logistics play a very important role in minimizing the threat of such fluctuations and giving these producers and suppliers better control over their cold goods every step of the way.

What is cold chain management?

Cold chain management covers every aspect of the cold chain, including products in transit, processing, storage, and display. Temperature-sensitive products rely on cold chain management to ensure product efficacy, safety, and compliance with applicable regulatory standards.

Cold chain management is a critical component of the supply chain, important for managing temperature ranges and air quality, which includes carbon dioxide, humidity, and oxygen levels. Any interruption or failure in the cold chain management process during transit, processing, storage, and display can lead to product spoiling, loss, and financial consequences.

Maintaining the proper temperature and product environment is crucial for everyone involved in the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the transporter to the end customer. The cold chain is maintained, checked, adjusted, and tracked from production through distribution and using the most advanced thermal packaging technologies and real-time temperature monitoring.

What are the challenges that cold chain logistics companies face?

Companies that handle cold chain logistics are under high pressure to deliver cold goods on time and in excellent condition, however, this task gets more complex every year and companies need to expand their business to provide high-quality services to their customers.

The fact that consumers started to pay attention to their health and what they put into their bodies, has significantly increased the demand for fresher foods and products, oftentimes from thousands of miles away. This increase causes additional challenges for the cold chain logistics companies. Producers and suppliers of fresh foods must look for ways to deliver their products to the consumer in the fastest and safest way possible while keeping the integrity of their products intact.