Vision Cold Chain - Knocking at the Future

-By Tech4serve Project Consultants LLP

India is the 2nd largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world and it
also produce a substantial amount of marine, meat & poultry products. With
production at such high levels their utilization should also increase. However,
at the same time we also experience large percentage of food being wasted
due to various reasons, such as short shelf life and improper handling &
inadequate transportation facilities. There are a number of techniques to
reduce these issues and one such technique is to develop cold chain
infrastructure.
A properly developed cold chain system can be helpful for the farmer, whole-seller, retailer,
and end-consumer, also for the food industry.

 It will reduce food wastage (as shelf life of food will increase)
 Better food prices for the consumer (as seller will have more profit by selling less
because of less wastage)
 Quality of food will increase (as storage conditions will be better and regular
monitoring will be there)
 Overall Availability of food will increase round the year (as food can be stored for
longer time periods)
 Farmers will get freedom to sell their produce at better prices and suitable time
periods of their preference.

Cold Chain Process for Fresh Produce

Procurement Transport Storage Distribution End Customer

•Manufacturers •Climate •Cold store •Refrigerated •Retail
•Farms Controlled •Distribution Secondary •consumption
Centre Move
•Food Industry

Cold Chain & Food Industry

Cold chain plays a major role for the food industry. Many food Industry requires the use of cold
chain such as Ice-cream industry, Dairy industry, chocolate industry, ready to eat and ready
to cook frozen sector. Integrated cold chain facility is a key deciding factor for the success of
these industry.
Also many Bakeries, Cafes and Fast Food Chains such as McDonalds, KFC, and Burger King
etc. utilize cold chain for proper functioning by using them as procurement & distribution
centres. Bakery ingredient companies and bakeries can also use cold chain for storage of
butter, yeast, whip cream etc and distribution of cakes, chocolates and other baker’s
confectionery items. Cafes and fast food chains use cold chain for long term storage of
cheese, butter, frozen vegetables and veg. and non-veg. ready to cook ingredients.
For industrial purpose cold chain is setup to maintain three storage conditions:
1. Frozen chamber (maintained at <-18oC): For storage of ice-cream, meat, poultry,
cheese etc.
2. Chiller Chambers (maintained at 2-5oC): For items such as chocolates, butter,
sauces etc.
 3. Ambient Chambers (maintained at 5-25oC): For fruits and vegetables, also it is used
to store non-food items such as packaging material, utility items to give an integrated
solution for the fast food chains.
Cold chain just not only provide a place to store goods, it also comprises of logistics services
to facilitate easy, hassle free procurement and distribution of material.
On the other hand, demand of ready to eat frozen food is increasing in the urban India. It is
because of convenience offered by these products to the nuclear families, young professionals
living alone, the growing acceptance of Western food, and the need for on-the-move freshly-
cooked foods. The changing Indian lifestyle is creating a multitude of opportunities for market
players, across industries. The increase in demand for frozen food products is driving
increased focus on the category by modern retail chains and standalone grocery stores that
are stocking more varieties of frozen products such as peas, corn, and ready to cook and heat-
and-eat packaged products. As sales increase, the category is slated to witness increased
penetration and entry of more players and products.
Thus it can be said that cold chain will see a tremendous growth in the near future. Not only
just to benefit the farmers but also to develop and elevate the food industry and also to the
end consumer by providing quality food at lower prices round the year.