How to Import Fresh Fruits with Cold Chain Logistics

Logistics and transportation operations have gained a different dimension in an increasingly globalized world. Thanks to logistics, everything that people need, from food to technology, can be transported thousands of kilometers away from your region. In the logistics sector, which serves via land, air, and sea transportation, it is vital to transport perishable foods on time and with the right method. 

Fruits, which are among the perishable foods, can be collected after they are ripe and delivered to the desired location by cold chain logistics. So, what do you know about cold chain logistics? How can you import fruits with Turkish Goods using cold chain logistics?

What is Cold Chain Logistics?

The transportation method that aims to deliver cold or frozen foods to the buyer is called cold chain transportation. Fish, dry foods, and fruits can be transported with the cold chain method. However, the temperature in the cold chain may change depending on the characteristics of the product being transported. Consequently, the main goal is to keep the products in a cold environment at all stages. 

Firstly, the collected fruits are first transported in trucks with cooling units. It is then kept in cold storage and finally transported by cold chain cargo. The use of the chain expression here is important because all the steps are interconnected. Disruption at one stage may cause product deterioration and a decrease in quality.

Things to Consider in Cold Chain Logistics

First of all, the process must be well planned. The times of all stages, the quantities of the products, and the transportation vehicles and warehouses where these products will be placed should be checked in advance. When loading fruits onto transport vehicles, they must be loaded quickly but also carefully. After the products are placed, you should make sure that the vehicles and warehouses are not ventilated. Dry and hygienic transportation and storage areas are also necessary for the protection of fruits.

How High Should the Temperature Be During Transportation?

While heat-insensitive products are generally transported at 18 degrees Celsius, products such as fruit, vegetables, and white meat (not frozen) are transported at temperatures between 4-8 degrees. In order to preserve the nutritional value of fresh fruits as much as possible, a method called refrigerated transportation is used.

In the literature, this method is also called cold chain logistics and climate-controlled transport. Cooling units need to be adjusted according to the durability and degradation conditions of each fruit. So which fruits should be transported at what temperature?

• Pears, apricots, grapes, cherries, sour cherries, strawberries, peaches, apples, pomegranates, nectar, plums, raspberries, figs, and quince should be carried at a temperature of 1-3 degrees.
• Lemons and oranges are carried at a temperature of 7-10 degrees.
• Watermelon, melon, and bananas should be carried at a temperature between 7 and 10 degrees.
• Frozen fruits are transported at a maximum temperature of -18 degrees.
• Indian types of avocados are not resistant to cold and are kept at temperatures as high as 13 degrees. Cold-resistant avocados can be stored at 4 degrees.

What Features Should the Vehicles Used in Cold Chain Logistics Have?

The amount of fruit to be transported must be large in order to be able to travel long distances between countries in the form of the cold chain. For this purpose, refrigerated ships were built. There may be special cooling volumes on refrigerated ships, or it can be done by connecting electrical energy to the containers loaded on the ship. 

In intercity land and railway transportation, cold chain logistics are carried out with refrigerated pickup trucks. In refrigerated transportation, mostly vehicles that comply with CEMT standards and semi-trailers are used. By procuring the temperature balance of the vehicles, it is ensured that they are transported appropriately without diminishing the product quality.

What Should Be the Storage Conditions?

Storage conditions are of great importance in the field of fruit transportation, as in every logistics operation. Storage conditions for fruits are extremely important, especially for long-distance transport. In order for the fruits to last longer and to be transported without spoiling, the appropriate temperature and relative humidity must be set well. Keeping the fresh fruit at the temperature just before it reaches the freezing point is expressed as the most appropriate temperature.

The best humidity rate is determined as the humidity rate that does not cause any water loss, deterioration, or wrinkling during the storage of the fruits. In addition, if the humidity cannot be adjusted well, darkening may occur in the inner parts of the fruits. Therefore, by determining the most suitable temperature in the warehouses where the fruits are stored and staying at that temperature, rotting and wrinkling of the fruits can be prevented, thus prolonging their shelf life.

How to Import Fruits from Turkish Goods?

As Turkish Goods, we provide services in Asia-Pacific, North America, and all of Europe. We do not only send the fruit to our customers, but we follow all the processes on behalf of our customers. We primarily find trusted producers to offer the best price to our partners around the world.

Moreover, Turkish Goods provides packaging, logistics, and delivery after submitting the quotation. We follow all these processes legally and guarantee a safe and seamless process. For this, we have developed four quality control mechanisms:

1.   Quality Control Inspection: We provide quality control with a strict inspection from the availability of the product to its delivery.

2.   Private Packaging: We carefully package products to deliver them to you in a robust way and guide you through packaging and logos that reflect your brand image.

3.   Target Product Research: We offer you the most profitable products that best suit your request and budget within a plan.

4.   Resource Research: We evaluate market conditions according to your needs and present various plans for the future.

If you want to reach high-quality and healthy fruits fast with cold chain logistics, you can contact Turkish Goods. You can import fruits with Turkish Goods’ cold chain logistics without risks. You can click here for all your relevant questions and support about the process.