In the business world, there is a term known as the “last mile,” which typically refers to the final leg of a product’s journey when it is purchased by a customer and brought home. However, in the world of cold chain packaging logistics, the last mile is often regarded as the final destination products made to the retail outlet where they will finally be sold to customers.
This is typically not a notable period for normal products, as items such as toys or cleaning products experience no appreciable risk during this transfer. However, when it comes to more delicate products, such as food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, the last mile can sometimes be when these products are at their greatest risk of losing effectiveness. There are a few things that leave such products vulnerable, including:
No Temperature Control
Depending on the type of vehicle used for shipments, such as a van, for smaller amounts, there may not be active environmental control at work during the final delivery. This can mean that for the duration of the journey, especially on hot summer days, the products may be exposed to more heat than at any other period during the shipping process.
Mixed Products
At this point, more temperature-sensitive products may be shipped alongside other products. This means that they no longer necessarily enjoy the strict environmental maintenance that comes from a reefer unit. They may also be placed alongside other products much warmer than they are, making heat seepage possible as heat transfers from a warmer product to a cooler one.
Multiple Stops
It’s not unusual for the last mile of delivery of products to retail outlets to involve stops at many different places. If this occurs to a temperature-sensitive shipment, especially if it is slated for delivery toward the end of the distribution route, this can mean the product sits, exposed to different temperature changes, as the doors are repeatedly opened and left that way to deliver other products.
Contingency Protection For Cold Chain Packaging
To ensure that temperature-sensitive products don’t lose flavor, color, or efficacy just before they are delivered, it’s best to use cold-chain packaging. Cold chain packaging provides additional insulation layers so that the initial shipping temperature is maintained even with multiple, low-duration exposures to drastic temperature changes.
This can sometimes mean the difference between food, beverages, or pharmaceuticals arriving in sellable condition to their final destination or incurring damage that reduces their viability when they are ready to go on sale.
If you’d like to know more about cold chain packaging, contact Protek Cargo with your questions and get a quote.
