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Food Logistics: Four Essential Precautions for Managing Storage and Distribution

16 May 2019

Erik Stone

If you are involved in the food and beverage industry, you must be cautious and diligent when dealing with logistics. Simply speaking, the food sector has numerous restrictions in terms of handling. Therefore, poor choices in relation to transportation and warehousing can lead to the compromise of goods. If your food is mishandled, you will not only lose your shipment. Your reputation could be affected, causing the permanent loss of customers. Here are simple tips to help you manage food logistics effectively.

Package the Food Properly

You should protect your foods through proper packaging. In simple terms, one of the common dangers to food safety during transit and storage is the contamination of goods. This issue is quite critical if your business handles perishable or sensitive goods like meat. If the packaging used to protect the goods is not secure, contamination and cross-contamination could occur, causing the loss of valuable merchandise. Therefore, it is your responsibility to use resilient, sterile packaging for your goods.  

Choose Third-Party Logistics

If you have food storage facilities and trucks, you can opt for in-house distribution and warehousing of your goods. However, in most cases, it is advisable to use a third-party logistics provider. You should note that in-house distribution can be highly demanding in terms of finances, time and labour. For instance, you will need to purchase equipment, maintain your storage spaces and hire experts for food distribution. If you choose a third-party business, they will use their existing resources to provide logistics assistance. Moreover, these providers can distribute to clients beyond your local region.

Consider the Equipment

You should ensure that there is suitable equipment for transportation and storage whether you choose in-house or third-party logistics. This evaluation of the equipment is particularly critical when dealing with temperature-sensitive goods. If your food will spoil due to changes in ambient temperature, you must ensure that there will be refrigeration equipment throughout the distribution process. In simple terms, the trucks should have refrigeration systems and the warehousing facilities should have cold or cool rooms, depending on the desired food storage temperature.

Conduct Regular Audits

Finally, you should conduct regular check-ups of your food logistics operations. The audit is crucial because it will help you ensure that the distribution network is running smoothly. The goal of the review is to identify any kinks in your logistical department and eliminate them before a problem occurs. You should conduct thorough research on the processes and systems and find aspects which can be improved for better results. 

Contact a third-party food logistics service for more information.

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