For many of us, eating fresh means consuming more locally produced foods. Ever wondered what happens to those foods once they leave the farm? Do you care about how they are preserved and transported?
The global cold chain refers to all the steps involved in getting food from the farm to your plate. This starts from transporting fresh produce through its storage to the processing stage.
The global cold chain establishes that perishable foods are safe and in their best state during consumption.
The safety and protection of local foods under the recommended temperatures is both a legal and conscientious requirement. Some applications of the global cold chain locally include:
Foodborne illness has long been a major health concern in many countries, especially those with large populations and a greater density of restaurants. Understanding how groceries move from local farmers to consumers is vital in keeping every meal safe. The global cold chain promotes food safety across every stage of transportation.
Many local industries rely on temperature-controlled warehouses to preserve perishable goods. If you have a warehouse for storing local foods, you should build it to the standard required to maintain the freshness of your products for a long time.
The shelf life of most foods depends on several factors, such as packaging, temperature, and humidity. On average, meat will stay fresh for 3-5 days, while dairy products last around 1-2 weeks. Fruits and vegetables have relatively shorter shelf lives. The global cold chain ensures your food is at favorable storage temperatures, stopping microorganisms from reproducing.
To keep local food in the best state, you need to ascertain that the global cold chain is not broken. One way of doing this is by transporting, processing, and storing fresh farm produce at the right temperatures. Would you like to learn more about the role of the global cold chain in local food production? Contact us today to discuss how we can tailor a solution that suits your needs.