Food safety Act another stumbling block for cold supply chain

South African retailers will increasingly be held accountable for the integrity of their cold chain – especially in light of changing regulation. According to fresh produce, cold and supply chain technologies expert Professor Malcolm Dodd, with the update of the Food Safety Act all proteins in future must be stored below 4˚C and frozen below -18˚C. “For supermarket supply chains to be efficient and cost-effective they more often than not carry horticulture – flowers, fruits and vegetables - dairy and protein (all forms of meat) at the same time,” he explained to FTW. “This is a new challenge for the industry as it effectively means all cold distribution centres and transport must now run below 4˚C. Many upgrades are taking place to accommodate this.” In addition, with the Consumer Protection Act, says Dodd, supermarkets are going to have to take full responsibility for the integrity of the cold chain. “Therefore they will have to have dynamic temperature reporting and archived records for five years.” Dodd says using thermal maps to identify shortcomings in cold supply chains will become increasingly important. “Reducing waste in the perishable sector is a growing trend in South Africa. Having an efficient cold chain is essential if one wants to reduce waste – and knowing where the shortcomings are is the first step.” Dodd says there is especially a need to reduce the waste that occurs between field and fork that can be as high as 40%. “This reduces the profitability of the service provider within the chain where the waste occurs. Into the future as a country we are going to need all the production to feed the expanding population, so reducing any waste is important.” He says other challenges facing the industry at present remain managing input costs which are increasing above CPI, the stringent phytosanitary rules that are being applied to the country’s exports and the ever-present threat of labour issues. INSERT & CAPTION With the update of the Food Safety Act all proteins in future must be stored below 4˚C and frozen below -18˚C. – Professor Malcolm Dodd CAPTION With the Consumer Protection Act, supermarkets are going to have to take full responsibility for the integrity of the cold chain.