Page 22 - Logistics News June 2019
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Cold Chain Logistics
The big chill:
Trends in cold chain logistics
Courtesy www.inboundlogistics.com
The heat is on food and pharma companies to keep refrigerated freight frosty.
WITH ITS capital-intensive equipment, An increasing focus on quality and
strict temperature requirements and energy product sensitivity
dependence, the cold chain has always been a In the food industry, the big trend is an increased
demanding logistics segment. Now the sector focus on quality, health and integrity. To win repeat
is grappling with additional challenges – from business, manufacturers must ensure an optimal
increases in the sensitivity, quality standards experience with the brand. For cold chain products,
and volume of many of its goods to continually that means avoiding the changes in texture and
mounting regulations. taste that occur when a shipment strays outside
The cold chain also faces many of the same recommended temperatures, as well as decreasing
issues challenging the entire supply chain: Serving the amount of processing for proteins such as fi sh.
the global market, driving out costs, becoming This intensifi ed focus on quality and the
more strategic and addressing capacity and consumer experience means refrigerated
resource constraints, all while managing the warehouses across the food cold chain must
exacting needs of the sector’s precious cargo – maintain as many as fi ve diff erent temperature
primarily food and pharmaceutical products. zones.
Here are some trends impacting the cold chain, Pharmaceutical manufacturers, too, are dealing
and some strategies manufacturers and logistics with more sensitive products such as customised
service providers use to adapt and thrive. treatments for rare diseases. These products often
include more high value active ingredients that
Cold chains are becoming more global off er shorter shelf lives and carry strict temperature
Increasing interest in healthful food and a growing requirements.
middle class in locations such as China are pushing Another fast-growing drug category is
cold chains to globalise. Consumers now demand controlled room temperature. These drugs are
higher-end products that must travel extended safe at room temperature, but must be maintained
distances and ship quickly to ensure freshness and there during transport using temperature-assured
quality. “Food is travelling around the world as containers, such as reefers, to avoid the spikes that
more manufacturers manage their supply chains can come in ambient containers.
globally,” says Doug Harrison, President and CEO
of VersaCold in Vancouver. These manufacturing Market pressures drive demand for supply
plants are becoming more specialised to a specifi c chain effi ciency
product or label and they ship their goods more The need to operate a Lean supply chain is
widely. even more acutely felt when every step faces
In pharmaceuticals, added product the additional requirement of refrigeration and
specialisation and sensitivity means they are compliance. At Nestlé Canada, this has meant
more often being shipped globally to reach their corporate-wide adoption of Lean principles and a
markets. Logistics practices must comply with each more strategic approach to working with supply
country’s regulations and maintain the strictest chain providers, including cold chain.
requirements, driving many drug makers to raise Driver shortages and capacity constraints are
practices across their supply chain. hitting the cold chain especially hard. Operating
20 June 2019 | Logistics News
