The world feels like it’s becoming a much smaller place when you think about how we no longer have to rely on what’s local or in season. Oranges from southern Spain can be shipped to colder climes thanks to the wonders of food warehousing and logistics.
Cold storage services are key to providing us with fresh produce and temperature-sensitive goods without fear of them spoiling. With the looming threat of global warming, cold storage is now more essential than ever for food, farming, and pharmaceutical businesses worldwide.
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What are Cold Storage Services?
There’s more to these services than you would think. Warehouse cold storage services are far more than simply offering refrigeration for fresh produce and other goods.
Cold storage facilities provide various temperature settings to cater to different foods and business needs. For example, blast freezing is a process by which ready meals, meat, or seafood are cooled down far faster than in a conventional freezer. This method forms smaller ice crystals and maintains the cell structure of the foods better.
Other services offered include tempering, which gradually brings products out of a deep freeze so they are soon ready for purchase in stores and for consumer use. Also, cooler storage is provided to extend the life of perishable food products yet to be delivered to retailers.
Why are Cold Storage Services Essential in Warehousing?
For warehousing businesses that specialise in storing food items, cold storage is an essential service you cannot do without. As the need to feed a growing global population rises, so does the importance of ensuring compliance and meeting customers’ expectations.
Product quality and safety
Cold storage protects consumers by providing high-quality produce stored at the correct temperatures from farm to table. While we may be extremely careful about defrosting a frozen chicken, we need to know that the retailers have taken similar precautions. When retailers partner with cold storage specialists, they can leave their produce in expert hands until it is ready to be sent to the store.
In this way, not only is the welfare of consumers prioritized, but businesses are also protected by the stringent safety protocols upheld in cold storage facilities. By choosing a reputable cold storage service, warehousing businesses and retailers can have complete peace of mind over the safety and quality of their stock and produce.
Global food distribution
Without cold storage, today’s international food trade would not be possible. Modern-day consumers expect access to fresh fruit and vegetables year-round. We have grown accustomed to buying exotic fruits and the ripest tomatoes, regardless of where we live in the world or what season it is.
Cold storage enables produce to be shipped long distances and still arrive looking freshly picked. By using cold storage services, distributors and retailers can store produce for extended periods of time. This means that they can keep shelves fully stocked and their customers consistently supplied with quality produce.
Pharmaceutical needs
It’s not just the food we eat that requires storage at a specific temperature. Pharmaceutical companies producing vaccines and temperature-sensitive medications also utilize this service. For example, when the COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out, they required cold storage to ensure the vaccine remained safe and effective.
Benefits of Cold Storage Services for Business
Cold storage services are beneficial for businesses in a financial sense. Incorrectly stored food and pharmaceuticals can perish or lose efficacy, which affects the bottom line. Wasted stock is a huge drain on a business’s budget. However, with the help of a cold storage partner, this can be easily avoided.
Customer complaints are bad for business. Reimbursing dissatisfied customers or paying out in lawsuits can put financial strain on businesses. By simply using cold storage services, the quality and safety of the produce can be maintained in line with industry standards. This eliminates the risk of customers falling ill from spoiled produce and taking legal action against your business.
The Obstacles to Keeping Cool
Warehousing businesses opting for in-house services instead of partnering with reputable cold storage providers may encounter certain obstacles. For one, the one-off expenditure of purchasing and installing industrial-grade refrigeration units is a significant investment. This is best reserved for multi-national corporations that can swallow the costs.
Then, there are the long-term costs of powering the units and maintaining them. These refrigeration units will require regular servicing and checking to see if they are set at the correct temperatures. That’s more staff needed to oversee these checks, and contractors hired for servicing the units. It all adds up for a small to medium-sized business.
Operating your own in-house refrigeration department also comes at the expense of your sustainability targets. Industrial refrigeration units require vast amounts of energy to power, if you don’t have sustainability protocols in place. By partnering with a cold storage service, you can benefit from their energy-efficient practices without harming your own eco-conscious values.
The Future of Cold Storage Services
Continuing on with the theme of sustainability, renewable energy integration, such as solar panels and battery storage, could further improve cold storage services’ sustainability measures. Therefore, cold storage services will appear more attractive than in-house refrigeration to green-minded retailers and warehousing businesses.
In addition, the implementation of AI and automation is on the cards for future developments in the cold storage industry. These new technologies will help streamline processes, making cold storage services even more accessible for warehousing and retailers.