Millions of people rely on fresh produce every other day to meet their nutritional needs and stay full. However, food logistics presents challenges that need efficiency, precision, and strict compliance with food safety regulations. The company that handles these perishable goods has to maintain the desired temperature for each product, manage inventory, and guarantee timely deliveries.
Luckily, there are reliable solutions that they can rely on to reduce costs, enhance supply chain reliability, and enhance efficiency. This ensures that the products get to their destination in perfect condition. Here are some key innovations shippers use to improve efficiency in perishable food logistics.
Real-time Monitoring
Gone are the days when perishable goods shippers transported their products without tracking technology, hoping that they would get to the destination safely. Today, food and beverage shippers utilize tracking devices and sensors to monitor the environmental conditions of the produce during transportation.
For instance, a company can use a sensor that tracks the humidity, temperature, and location of the produce in real time. This helps fix any issues that may occur right away to avoid damage or delivery delays.
Cold Chain Management
This solution entails maintaining the perishable goods at a specific temperature from when they are produced to delivery. Suppliers use high-tech refrigeration units for containers and trucks to ensure the freshness of various products, including dairy, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. The temperature requirements for each product differ, so the units’ refrigerating units are usually set to meet each product’s needs.
Blockchain Technology
Blockchain lets freight forwarders track each product from origin to delivery. This ensures that the goods maintain their freshness and quality throughout the journey. Each step is recorded on a Blockchain, from when produce is harvested, packed, shipped, and delivered.
This innovative technology also captures the conditions and temperature in the container throughout the transit. The arrival conditions of the products are also recorded. If the temperature in a container rises above the required threshold, the driver and the crew take prompt measures to prevent spoilage. What’s more, knowing the actual harvest time and product condition during transit ensures that goods are sold while fresh.
Ecofriendly Packages
The way products are packaged determines their quality during and after transportation. So, suppliers do everything to ensure products are packaged correctly. Today, suppliers prefer using sustainable packaging materials that are recyclable or reusable to reduce environmental footprints. Other than maintaining the freshness of the produce, the packaging solutions reduce plastic waste since they are biodegradable.
Non-invasive Inspection
Recent innovations allow suppliers of perishable goods to conduct non-invasive inspections. They use hyperspectral imaging to detect contaminants or internal defects without damaging the packaging or products. Thanks to this technology, defects like undetectable spoilage, uneven fat distribution (meat), textural changes, and souring dairy products can be detected quickly. It can detect rot, internal bruising in fruits and vegetables, and fungal infections.
Modern technology, such as hyperspectral imaging, is also excellent at uncovering foreign substances that can compromise the quality and safety of the products. This may include particles of plastics or metals, wood splinters, glass shards, and textiles, which could be harmful when consumed.
With these solutions, it has become easier for food suppliers to ensure perishable products get to the consumer on time and in good condition. So, people buying or selling perishable products should partner with logistics companies that use modern technologies to avoid delays and prevent damage.
