Fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables; fish, meat dairy and baked goods can make up about 40% of a grocery chains income.
Fresh food, and the transport and sale of such however, has constantly been an exceedingly delicate matter, and can be very difficult to manage. It’s not just a case of ordering refrigerated vans, due to the following reasons:
Costs are unstable,
The products are often perishable and easily damaged
Replenishment and quality-control tasks are tough and costly
Due to increasing customer demand, merchants are moving an ever-expanding array of fresh produce, and these can have various temperature level storage and handling requirements.
The most successful fresh-food sellers stand out in 6 important measurements:
Value proposition
Merchandising
Sourcing and supply chain
Shop procedures
Waste reduction
Quality management
Refrigerated transport and storage for fresh produce
In this post, we look at the transport and storage of fresh produce and how it can be optimised to ensure that wastage is kept to a minimum. From correct loading procedures to whether it is necessary to utilise refrigerated vans, it’s clear there are many things to take into account.
Transportation, more often than not is the most expensive factor when dealing with fresh produce, and for crops or meat that are exported by airfreight the transportation costs may well come in at more than the cost to produce the crop in the first place. , The type of transportation when it comes to fresh goods, is decided by taking into account the perishability; value and distance of the produce type, and whatever mode of transport is chosen, the principles should be as follows:
Unloading and reloading ought to be as cautious as possible.
Transit times need to be as brief as you can make them
The produce needs to be protected well depending on its sensitivity to damage
Jolting ought to be decreased
Overheating ought to be prevented
Water loss needs to be limited.
The necessary conditions of conservation must be acquired and maintained continuously, specifically concerning humidity, airflow and temperature.
Fresh food distribution
Advertising and the actual distribution of fresh foods naturally involves moving the fresh food. The crops are dealt with, either by hand or mechanically, from the time they are harvested right through transportation and distribution before the end user gets and prepares them at home.
It is not likely that handling operations are given much thought by the people who are involved in moving the produce, specifically when the fresh items are only moved a small distance.
These small moves however are usually recurring operations and therefore, if the employees concerned are not effectively trained and supervised then the handling of the produce is likely to be poor causing produce injury, wastage and a high volume of losses. There is, however equipment for moving produce short distances that would not just make the task a lot simpler for the employees, it give more speed to the operation and lower the likelihood of injury to the fresh produce.
Roller-conveyors, whether they are gravity powered, or motorised are of terrific support in the warehouse for to help move boxed produce, however are also useful for loading of trucks and pick-ups. Hand-trucks can lug approximately six crates of fresh produce, are extremely maneuverable and are not heavy. They are also pretty durable too, and do not cost a great deal of money. Pallet-trucks are in used daily, but are not yet made use of regularly in order to handle and move fresh produce, which is most likely due to the fact that product packaging is not yet standardized and therefore it doesn’t gain from pallet operations.
Mishandling and dropping crates during discharging and loading is a regular cause of damage to the crate and the produce, but can be reduced by
Using designs and pack weights that work with the managing method.
Correct guidance and supervision of unloading and loading to prevent poor standards of handling
Utilising loading bays that are ramped which can offer advantages.
Protecting the produce from rain and sun damage at loading and unloading locations.
Using forklift trucks, trolleys and conveyors to limit the use of manual handling
The technique of loading of the produce in the refrigerated vans will certainly be dependent on the size and type of vehicle but should constantly be very carefully studied and handled to decrease physical damage.
The following are some beneficial guidelines:
Loading firmly to minimize motion and optimise the area
Making sure weight is distributed evenly
In mixed loads, stowing produce in reverse order in order to ensure they do not have to be moved around again when unloaded
Providing gaps for ventilation
Stacking to a load height the lowest containers can withstand without crushing or damage
Ensuring the refrigerated vehicle is appropriately kept, well maintained and regularly serviced. Breakdowns may cause complete or extreme wastage.
Being selective with the operator of your vehicle. Drivers that are not experienced will certainly mean more damage to your load.
Although it is not strictly necessary to use refrigerated vans for all produce, many suppliers prefer to. The alternatives, when it comes to domestic transport should still be considered though in order to save costs, as refrigerated vehicles are naturally more expensive than those that are not.
Refrigerated vans- some extremely vulnerable products may necessitate using cooled vehicles. Truck-based refrigeration systems can differ in their cooling capacity. Many are suitable only for maintaining the temperature of a fresh load that has actually been pre-cooled by other methods, and they offer insufficient air-circulation for some forms of produce. It is always best to check whether the method of refrigeration covers the produce over the length of transportation.
There are a few refrigerated trucks, that are made up of reefer containers which are then mounted onto the back a flatbed truck, however, that are capable of quick forced-draught cooling of produce that may be warm, however these are typically an not used much due to their cost.
If you’re considering your fresh produce transportation requirements, it’s clear to see that adequate planning, ensures less wastage and fewer problems down the line.
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