The Cold Chain Association (CCA) is continuing its research on trade lanes for various types of produce to improve the cool chain, says Vijan Chetty, CCA treasurer.Several of these trials have been conducted on routes from South Africa to Europe.Partnering with the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB), one study tracked cut f lower exports from South Africa to Europe to highlight risk areas affecting vase life. Conducted in collaboration with Arnelia Farms, a South African wholesale f lower nursery and expor ter, and tracking Sunshine Conebush f lower consignments packed on-farm near Hopefield in the Western Cape province of South Africa to destinations in the Netherlands and Germany, the trials aim to establish challenges and to make recommendations relating to the cool chain.Another trial followed the transport of raspberries from Haygrove Heaven Farm in Cape Town to their export destination in the United Kingdom.Chetty said several factors were assessed, including the quality of raspberries on the farm, temperature management throughout the trade lane, handling processes, and a final quality evaluation on arrival at the end destination.According to Chetty, many trials over the past few years have primarily focused on the final mile of specific trade lanes. "Having signed a memorandum of understanding with the PPECB, the CCA has significantly extended these trials to encompass the entire journey from farm to table," he said. "We are not only monitoring the temperature of the product but also aiming to identify all factors that could inf luence shelf life. This includes post-harvest practices, packaging and palletisation, and the functionality of cold storage." He said recent research focusing on air exports from South Africa found that the carton designs used for transporting certain commodities lacked proper ventilation holes and were not correctly aligned, thereby hindering adequate airf low and cooling of the produce. “In response, the CCA has recommended improving carton designs to ensure proper ventilation for effective cooling. The industry is increasingly recognising the importance of proper cooling methods, such as using a combination of ice packs, dry ice, and thermal blankets, to enhance effectiveness in airfreight.”The CCA has also released a best practice video for handling perishables from the findings of its raspberry and cut-f lower field-to-market trials with the PPECB.The educational video presents learnings from the two trials and advises optimal handling procedures to protect product integrity and maximise shelf life.It explores various stages of the perishables chain, highlighting good agricultural practices, requirements surrounding fresh air ventilation and taint, and recommendations for thermal protection of perishable products, including cartons, packaging, and labelling. The guidance also covers optimal aircraft loading and transport procedures, and cold storage and pre-cooling of perishable products, offering advice on specific temperatures found to be optimal during trials.“We have taken the results and put them into a practical format to enable the entire industry to benefit from these learnings,” said Chetty. “By adopting these optimal practices, the industry can hope to address the vast waste that occurs in the perishables supply chain.”According to Chetty, following the success of the trials, the CCA believes further research and trials are called for.
