Ensuring that food products are in perfect condition from production to sale is not as simple as it seems. Many of the products consumed require specific preservation measures to guarantee their quality. This is where it is important to understand what the cold chain is and why it is so relevant.
At Inditer, as experts in industrial air conditioning and refrigeration, we will discuss what the cold chain is and how to ensure it is properly maintained.
What is the cold chain?
The cold chain refers to the set of processes carried out to maintain food at low temperatures during each phase of its supply. This encompasses from the moment products are produced or obtained until they reach the final consumer.
It is of utmost importance to maintain temperature control during each part of the cold chain. In this way, we guarantee the quality of the product and ensure it always remains in the best conditions.
Similarly, we remind you that current regulations regarding the preservation of refrigerated or frozen products must be followed. These regulate the temperature assigned to each type of food so they can be properly preserved.
Proper temperature maintenance throughout the cold chain prevents the proliferation of microorganisms, which will allow the product to be delivered in optimal conditions to consumers.
Why is the cold chain important?
Understanding what the cold chain is allows us to deduce its importance for the food sector and why it is so essential to ensure it is not broken during any of its stages.
- It extends the shelf life of food.
- It facilitates the transport of perishable products over long distances.
- It allows them to maintain their nutritional properties for a longer period of time.
- It slows down microbial growth and the proliferation of certain microorganisms.
Consequences of breaking the cold chain
Breaking the cold chain will occur if the temperature at which the food is kept rises. Even if this happens for a brief period of time, it can have serious consequences on the quality of the final product.
During the breaking of the cold chain, microbial activity is reactivated. Even if the food is frozen immediately afterward, it consequently becomes unfit for consumption, as it can cause food poisoning and has lost much of its nutritional value.
Therefore, it is vitally important to take care of each of the phases that make up the cold chain: livestock/harvest/food production, transport, storage, packaging, distribution until sale. In this way, we will ensure that the product is always in the best conditions and that it reaches its final destination, the consumer, correctly.
How to detect if there has been a break in the cold chain
How can we make sure that there has not been a break in the cold chain and that the product is in perfect condition for consumption? With so many parts in a single process, it is difficult to detect in which one the break occurred.
However, by observing the product we can determine whether it has been properly preserved or not. The greatest indication of this is the formation of frost on the packaging or on the food. When thawed, the ice turns into water, and when it freezes again, the water will turn into frost.
Other ways to see if products have been properly preserved is whether they have not concentrated into compacted blocks.
Maintaining the cold chain, how to do it?
So, how do we ensure that no break occurs during the cold chain?
At Inditer we know the importance of having the right equipment and technology to guarantee that all products are in perfect condition. Purchasing industrial evaporators, whether standard or CO2 evaporators, is a good option for use in cold storage rooms for freezing and preserving food.
A failure in the machinery used could cause significant losses in the short and long term. Our production is backed by administrative processes that hold the UNE-EN ISO 9001-2015 quality certificate.
If you would like to know more about this, you can contact our team of experts.