The cold chain in the food industry

In industrialized countries, 45% of the food consumed is sold under refrigerated conditions. In France, for example, over 350 kg of refrigerated or frozen food is consumed per inhabitant per year, representing a value of almost 1,000 euros.

Perfect control of the cold chain is essential at every stage, to meet consumer requirements in terms of food quality and hygiene.

Good control of the cold chain can also have major repercussions for producers, transporters and distributors in terms of :

• energy savings and environmental protection;

• reduce losses due to the destruction of products that have broken the cold chain;

• optimize investments in refrigeration equipment.

To ensure food hygiene and temperature control, the systems set up in Europe, and more particularly in France, are based on regulatory texts and official control activities, as well as on voluntary standards and certification systems.The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the current uses and future prospects of refrigeration in the agri-food sector, presenting the relationship between food quality and temperature, analyzing the causes of cold chain breakdowns, and the conclusions to be drawn in order to carry out risk analysis and implement risk control measures. Research results and test methods are presented.