Many companies are turning to service providers that offer a one-stop shop approach for their cold chain needs. Cold chain services include cold storage, kitting, tempering, code dating and pre-pricing, in addition to other value-added solutions.
According to the Refrigerated and Frozen Foods’ Industry Report, the cold food and beverage industry is experiencing a major marketplace disruption, with e-commerce, direct-to-consumer and grocery delivery services becoming more prevalent. This trend is affecting companies and many are turning to companies like Universal Pure to help them get their products to end customers quickly and efficiently.
Many companies want a facility to store their food until it’s ready to be shipped to stores. Additionally, many look to kitting capabilities that enable customers to efficiently go-to market and streamline the supply chain process. Still others may seek pre-pricing services that streamlines product placement on shelves with price-per-pound labels placed on products.
Other value-added services include tempering that enables air tempering or water defrosting products from a frozen state.
Choosing an experienced service provider can be tricky, but some of the things you should look for include:
· How long the company been in business and what’s their track record?
· How many customers do they have?
· Do they have the in-depth technical and engineering expertise to offer value-added services?
· Are they USDA-licensed, FDA-approved, and SQF food Safety and Quality Certified (SQF III)? Do they have HACCP-trained staff?
· Do they have the latest technology, including blast freezing, computer managed inventory, computer controlled and alarmed refrigeration systems?
· Are they a thought leader in the industry and often quoted in industry trade publications?
These days with all the complexity of getting a food product to market, it’s good to know there are companies out there that make it easier to deliver safe, fresh and nutritious foods to consumers.
