Rethinking 'Fresh'

Transportation and logistics in the food supply chain - especially perishables - requires a commitment from logistics providers to continually invest in their own operations to meet cold chain shipper’s needs. Besides control of ambient conditions, visibility is the second major strand of development, with the emphasis on real-time updates to maintain the integrity. Moreover, increasingly stringent regulations keep raising the bar for shippers as well as their logistics providers.

- Surya Kannoth

The market for fresh produce has undoubtedly been a thriving one for air cargo companies, all thanks to the globalisation of eating habits. The volumes of perishables being flown—fruit, vegetables, flowers, meat among others—have climbed 33 per cent since 2007, more than for any other category of product.

Going by latest figures, in the past year alone, the weight of fresh food travelling by air has increased by a tenth. In comparison, the weight of computing equipment flown by air dropped by the same amount. Flowers, salmon and milk powder have seen some of the strongest growth. Asia has contributed in a significant way in the jump.

According to a report published by Technavio on The Global Perishable Goods Transportation Market, temperature-sensitive cargo like milk and meat contribute the most demand over the report’s forecast period (2017-2021). Perishables as a whole are being driven by hospitality (e.g. hotels), hospitals, restaurants, and universities. The report further states that air cargo needs to properly prepare for the rise in perishables given their susceptibility to spoiling.

Transporting perishables requires a number of services to overcome three main difficulties that arise when cargo is exposed to the elements for an extended period of time. Although these challenges can be mitigated, they cannot be fully eliminated, as air cargo regulations mandate that cargo be placed on the tarmac long before takeoff.

The first obstacle occurs when perishables are removed from the cold storage and placed onboard the aircraft; the second emerges when the cargo is unloaded and transferred to a connecting flight; and the third when perishables arrive at their final destination and must be transported to a cooler.