In an industry where fresh produce travels from farms to urban centres and markets almost every day, refrigerated transport plays a pivotal role. It is what keeps the produce fresh and safe until it reaches the consumers. Refrigerated transport in Glen Innes, also called ‘cold chain,’ has been in practice for decades.
However, today, we’ll delve into its science of how it works with structured engineering, right temperature control, and logistics. Let’s get started:
The Significance of Refrigerated Transportation in Australia
Due to Australia’s geographic location, produce frequently has to travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres before it can be consumed by people. Fresh vegetables can quickly deteriorate due to microbial development, enzymatic activity, and moisture loss if the temperature is not properly controlled. In addition to food waste, this causes financial losses and health hazards. Refrigerated transport is a crucial sector of the multibillion-dollar Australian cold chain logistics market, which is anticipated to expand quickly in the upcoming years and supports the nation’s domestic food supply and agricultural exports.
How Refrigerated Transport Works?
The basic or core structure is the insulated vehicles with powerful refrigerated systems. These vehicles are also called ‘‘reefers” that play the role of maintaining a consistent and precise temperature tailored to the specific needs of the produce.
The refrigerated units are responsible for regulating the cool temperature inside, while the insulation minimises heat exchange from the external environment.
Before this produce is put inside the vehicle, they are pre-cooled to eliminate any field heat. This efficiently slows down ripening and food spoilage. Data loggers and remote systems are used to continuously monitor temperature during transit in order to maintain ideal conditions. Temperature variations can be promptly corrected to avoid deterioration of quality.
The Advanced Cooling Systems
There are multiple advanced cooling systems used in refrigerated transport.
- The mechanical refrigeration uses compressors and refrigerants to cool the air.
- Cryogenic cooling that uses liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide to quickly lower the temperature of the trailer. It’s effective in minimising fossil fuel emissions and offers faster temperature pull-down. There are mainly two types of cryogenic cooling: Direct cryogenic systems inject nitrogen into the trailer, whereas indirect systems use a heat exchanger to cool the air. Hybrid systems combine the two techniques for increased efficiency and reduced noise.
Packaging and Handling
If the handling of the produce is poor, the cooling system fails to keep it fresh for long. Proper packaging with adequate ventilation is equally important. There is ventilated and cushioned packaging that safeguards the produce from damage and bruising, while maintaining its temperature levels.
The industry of refrigerated transport in Lockyer Valley is also coming up with standardised containers to keep food fresh for longer.
Lastly,
The key to delivering food from farm gates to your plates is refrigerated transport, or cold chain. Without them, you can only dream of eating the fresh foods from across borders. This intricate system guarantees that the fruits and vegetables you eat are as fresh when they arrive as they were during harvest, which is essential for Australia’s food security and sustainability.
Are you looking for experienced companies specialising in refrigerated transport in Glen Innes? If yes, JD Refrigerated Transport can be your go-to choice. With years of experience dealing with frozen food transport, we’ve gained the relevant skills to help you and your business. Call 1300 588 022 for a quick consultation to know more about the services!