Fruit shipping from one destination to another is a juggling act of incredible coordination between different links in the logistics chain. The act of getting fruit from one part of the world to another involves many other moving parts agreeing to be present during crucial periods of handoff or exchange to carry products along to the next link.
However, there is an extra consideration for fruit, as they are not only delicate but perishable. This is one reason why precautions such as a thermal blanket for food transportation can be important components of “cold chain logistics.”
What Is Cold Chain Logistics
Fruit, vegetables, and a few other products have a special consideration for preservation. They have a narrow ideal temperature range which, if strayed from too high or too low, can hurt the fruit and either leave it visibly damaged and thus less likely to sell or even unsafe to consume because the rotting process has begun. To ensure they are still viable by the time they arrive at their destination, stringent protocols are observed to maintain their temperature.
Because these are usually cooler temperatures, either chilled or outright frozen, this specific shipping branch is referred to as “cold chain logistics.” It uses various active and passive methods to maintain the specified temperature, such as refrigeration units or a thermal blanket for food transportation. It’s not just a matter of convenience of sales appeal either; official government bodies such as the Food & Drug Administration and the Department of Transportation have strict guidelines about what logistics companies must do to preserve the integrity of consumables like fruit.
Passive Temperature Control Matters
For certain legs of the logistics journey, active means of temperature control can keep products safe. This usually means storage in environmentally maintained areas that use refrigeration units to keep the products at their specified temperature. Unfortunately, not every portion of the journey can be guaranteed to enjoy this type of coverage.
In particular, there are moments during fruit shipping when the product must move to the next link in the logistics chain. If these “hand-offs” consist of only a few minutes, then any exposure to new temperatures is minimal and doesn’t impact the condition of the fruit. However, should anything go wrong, such as a delay in the arrival of the next truck, the fruit sitting at the point of exchange is now extremely vulnerable, and the longer it remains exposed, the greater the chances are of the fruit’s condition being safe for consumption is compromised.
Here, precautions like thermal blankets for food transportation play a crucial protective role. Despite not having any active temperature control, thermal blankets covering fruit shipping preserve the internal temperature of the fruit and keep out the humidity and higher temperatures beyond the thermal protective layer. This ensures that the ideal temperature is maintained even without active means so that when the fruit is moved to the next leg of the journey, delays don’t impact that condition and the consumer safety of the fruit products. It’s a good precaution for fruit shippers, especially for longer trips.
