Cold Chain
Temperature-controlled supply chain for perishable products
The cold chain is the uninterrupted series of temperature-controlled storage and transport operations that maintains a desired temperature range for perishable food products from origin to final destination.
For Egyptian fresh produce exports (mangoes, grapes, citrus, strawberries), the cold chain typically requires +1°C to +5°C, depending on the commodity. Temperature deviations as small as 4-6 hours above setpoint can dramatically reduce shelf life and quality at destination.
Critical cold chain points for Egyptian exports: - Field/farm: rapid pre-cooling after harvest (forced air, hydrocooling). - Packhouse: cold storage at refrigerated temperatures during packing. - Transport to port: refrigerated truck with continuous data logging. - Container: pre-cooled before stuffing, set point monitored. - Ocean transit: 6-10 days to EU ports, container monitoring. - Destination: rapid offloading and onward refrigerated transport.
FoodGate Audit verifies cold chain integrity during pre-shipment inspections: pre-cooling records, packhouse temperature logs, container set point and pulp temperature, data logger placement, and seal integrity. Cold chain failures are one of the top three causes of EU rejection of Egyptian produce.