Innovation is saving refrigerated loads

The growing global consumption of frozen and chilled foods has seen a “significant amount” of innovation being deployed to support the quality of cold chain management. However, overcoming challenges such as delays, power outages and quality control for refrigerated goods exporters into Africa still remains a major headache, FTW has learned. “As a company that exports ice cream – with growth seen recently in Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo – one of the biggest challenges we have had to overcome is the quality of the cold chain. Some African countries’ infrastructure has deteriorated for a number of reasons, amongst others budgetary constraints,” said Bernadine De Boni, Nestlé Ice Cream export controller. She told FTW that partnering with strong distribution partners had helped the company re-establish its supply chain network into Zimbabwe and Lesotho, despite difficulties encountered in current crossborder movements. Greg Woodbridge, managing director of Imperial Distribution Services, said the challenges experienced in cold chain logistics in South Africa were no different from those of any first world country. “As you move in the broader African continent you experience challenges with infrastructure and support services to manage potential breakdowns. Due to the distances being covered, response times to breakdowns are fairly long, and naturally the quality of product is compromised,” he noted. A specialist reefer transporter said the biggest threat to cold chain logistics is time – and while it can generally be efficiently managed, the unknown factor is border delays and delays at loading and offloading locations. “At least 10-15% of all trips need kid glove treatment to speed up efficient logistics,” he said. The company believes these challenges can be addressed by improved training and a higher-volume capacity of refrigerated facilities. Imperial Distribution Services has overcome the challenges by identifying key partners in selected geographies and helping them develop infrastructure capable of supporting the company’s fleet in remote areas. “We have also deployed mobile technology into our fleet which allows for the remote monitoring of temperature, to adjust it remotely if necessary and to warn the driver in the event of a temperature deviation. In this way we can save the loads,” said Woodbridge. Quality at point of loading, quality of fridges and vehicles and quality of remote monitoring are key to ensuring a product is delivered in suitable condition, he commented. “A collaborative approach across all partners in this value chain will address the challenges going forward,” he said. INSERT & CAPTION As you move into Africa you experience challenges with infrastructure and support services to manage potential breakdowns. – Greg Woodbridge