COLD SUPPLY CHAIN
Introduction
The cold chain involves the transportation of temperature sensitive products along a supply chain through
thermal and refrigerated packaging methods and the logistical planning to protect the integrity of these
shipments. There are several means in which cold chain products can be transported, including
refrigerated trucks and railcars, refrigerated cargo ships, reefers as well as by air cargo.
It is a process since a series of tasks must be performed to prepare, store, transport and monitor
temperature sensitive products. The main elements of a cold chain involve:
● Cooling systems. Bringing commodities such as food to the appropriate temperature for
processing, storage and transportation.
● Cold storage. Providing facilities for the storage of goods over a period of time, either waiting to
be ship to a distant market, at an intermediary location for processing and distribution and close
to market for distribution.
● Cold transport. Having conveyances available to move goods while maintaining stable
temperature and humidity conditions as well as protecting their integrity.
● Cold processing and distribution. Providing facilities for the transformation and processing of
goods as well as ensuring sanitary conditions. Consolidating and deconsolidating loads (crates,
boxes, pallets) for distribution.
From an economic development perspective, the cold chain enables many developing countries to take
part in the global perishable products market either as producers or as consumers.
From a geographical perspective, the cold chain has the following impacts:
● Global. Specialization of agricultural functions permitting the transport of temperature sensitive
food products to distant markets. Enables the distribution of vaccines and other pharmaceutical or
biological products from single large facilities to any market around the world.
● Regional. Can support the specialization of production and economies of scale in distribution.
This could involve large cold storage facilities servicing regional grocery markets or specialized
laboratories exchanging temperature sensitive components.
● Local. Timely distribution to the final consumer of perishables, namely grocery stores and
restaurants.
Providing Temperature Controlled Environments
The industry has responded with the setting of temperature standards that accommodate the majority of
products. The most common temperature standards are “banana” (13 °C), “chill” (2 °C), “frozen” (-
18 °C) and “deep frozen” (-29 °C), each related to specific product groups. Staying within this
temperature range is vital to the integrity of a shipment along the supply chain and for perishables it
enables to insure an optimal shelf life. Any divergence can result in irrevocable and expensive damage; a
product can simply lose any market value or utility.
The major cold chain technologies in providing a temperature-controlled environment during transport
involve:
● Dry ice. Solid carbon dioxide, is about -80°C and is capable of keeping a shipment frozen for an
extended period of time. It is particularly used for the shipping of pharmaceuticals, dangerous
goods and foodstuffs and in refrigerated unit load devices for air cargo. Dry ice does not melt,
instead it sublimates when it comes in contact with air.
● Gel packs. Large shares of pharmaceutical and medicinal shipments are classified as chilled
products, which means they must be stored in a temperature range between 2 and 8°C. The
common method to provide this temperature is to use gel packs, or packages that contain phase
changing substances that can go from solid to liquid and vice versa to control an environment.
● Eutectic plates. Also known as “cold plates”. The principle is similar to gel packs. Instead, plates
are filled with a liquid and can be reused many times. Eutectic plates have a wide range of
applications, such as maintaining cold temperature for rolling refrigerated units. They can also be
used in delivery vehicles to keep temperature constant for short periods of time, a process that can
be suitable for deliveries in noise sensitive areas or for night deliveries.
● Liquid nitrogen. An especially cold substance, of about -196°C, used to keep packages frozen
over a long period of time. Mainly used to transport biological cargo such as tissues and organs. It
is considered as a hazardous substance for the purpose of transportation.
● Quilts. Insulated pieces that are placed over or around freight to act as buffer in temperature
variations and to maintain the temperature relatively constant. Thus, frozen freight will remain
frozen for a longer time period, often long enough not to justify the usage of more expensive
refrigeration devices.
● Reefers. Generic name for a temperature-controlled transport unit, which can be a van, small
truck, a semi-trailer or a standard ISO container. These units, which are insulated, are specially
designed to allow temperature-controlled air circulation maintained by an attached and
independent refrigeration plant. A reefer is therefore able to keep the cargo temperature cool and
even warm. The term reefer increasingly applies to refrigerated forty-foot ISO containers with the
dominant size being 40 high-cube footers (45R1 being the size and type code).
Cold Chains Operations
Moving a shipment across the supply chain without suffering any setbacks or temperature anomalies
requires the establishment of a comprehensive logistical process to maintain the shipment integrity. This
process concerns several phases ranging from the preparation of the shipments to final verification of the
integrity of the shipment at the delivery point:
● Shipment preparation. When a temperature sensitive product is being moved, it is vital to first
assess its characteristics. A key issue concerns the temperature conditioning and the packaging of
the shipment, which should already be at the desired temperature. Cold chain devices are
commonly designed to keep a temperature constant, but not to bring a shipment to this
temperature, so they would be unable to perform adequately if a shipment is not prepared and
conditioned.. Using a reefer with its own power unit usually mitigates such concerns. The load
unit carrying the temperature sensitive cargo must also be prepared. For instance, a refrigerated
container must be steam cleaned to remove the risk of bacterial contamination and brought to the
specified conditions of the shipper, namely temperature and humidity. Another issue concerns
atmospheric control, which is maintaining appropriate oxygen and carbon dioxide levels,
helping control (delay) the ripening. This control can apply to the whole conveyance (reefer), but
commonly involves wrapping products in polyethylene bags, which controls how gases permeate
during transport.
● Modal choice. Several key factors play into how the shipment will be moved. Distance between
the origin and the final destination (which often includes a set of intermediary locations), the size
and weight of the shipment, the required exterior temperature environment and any time
restrictions (perishability) of the product all effect the available transportation options. Short
distances can be handled with a van or a truck, while a longer trip may require an airplane or a
container ship. In this case, the cost / perishability ratio becomes a factor in modal choice.
● Custom procedures. If the freight crosses boundaries, custom procedures can become very
important, since cold chain products tend to be time sensitive and more subject to inspection than
regular freight (e.g. produce, pharmaceuticals and biological samples). The difficulty of this task
differs depending on the nation (or economic bloc) and the gateway since there are variations in
procedures and delays. A common issue relates to sanitary inspection that may require
fumigation. Customs issues are commonly identified as the most crucial in establishing reliable
international cold chains.
● The “Last Mile”. The last stage is the actual delivery of the shipment to its destination, which in
logistics is often known as the “last mile”. Key considerations when arranging a final delivery
concern not only the destination, but the timing of the delivery so the critical labor and
warehousing space is available. Trucks and vans, the primary modes of transportation for this
stage, must meet the specifications necessary to transfer the cold chain shipment. Since many
deliveries of cold chain products, particularly groceries, are taking place in an urban setting, they
are impeded by congestion and parking difficulties Also important is the final transfer of the
shipment into the cold storage facilities as there is potential for a breach of integrity and damages
to fragile goods such as produce.
Integrity and quality assurance. After the shipment has been delivered, any temperature recording
devices or known temperature anomalies must be recorded and made known. This is the step of the
logistical process that creates trust and accountability, particularly if liability for a damaged shipment is
incurred. If problems or anomalies that compromise a shipment do occur, an effort must be made to
identify the source and find corrective actions. This is particularly relevant to the high value of cold chain
goods. While a standard container load can have a value between $50,000 and $100,000, a reefer load can
reach $1 million. For the case of pharmaceuticals, the value of the cargo can reach $50 million.
