How fleet adaptability can help distributors weather e-commerce and coronavirus challenges.

Looking back on what we’ll call 2020 B.C. (Before Coronavirus), the pipeline for cold storage construction was already robust and healthy. According to research by commercial real estate firm CBRE, overall industrial construction—which encompasses cold storage, along with warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, self-storage, office and flex space—was at 298 million square feet (MSF) before COVID-19, bolstered by the ongoing rise of e-commerce. 

Our annual July State of the Industry issue is now ready to read in our redesigned digital magazine--even easier to navigate than before. We also feature our annual North American Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Warehouse Guide. put together with the help of the Global Cold Chain Alliance. In this issue, we dive deeper into how COVID-19 has not just impacted, but altered many areas of the cold foods supply chain the first half of 2020. It's a mid-year snapshot that also serves as a map for what will likely continue the rest of the year.

The ability to track inbound, outbound and all other warehouse-related activities with accuracy is a primary goal for Crescent Cold Storage. To be able to locate inventory and manage customer orders with precision was what prompted Crescent Cold Storage to seek out a better software solution. After extensive research it was clear that a customizable cloud-based ERP system was needed.

Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa details the cold chain's historic disruption and opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week on our From the Cold Corner podcast, I talk washdown motors for food processing with Regal Beloit’s John Calloway. We also discuss how the IoT (Internet of Things) is creating new efficiencies for motors, and how Regal Beloit is pivoting its business strategy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

I read the recent quarterly reports from Tyson and Sysco (Q2, and Q3, respectively) and both reflect the deep impact of restaurant, hotel, catering and other volume foodservice shutdowns on each of their businesses (and by extension, the cold foods supply chain) due to COVID-19. Here are my thoughts on the future of foodservice and what companies along the cold chain can do prepare for it. 

Metal detection today remains the backbone of food safety compliance for the majority of the industry, but especially in the chilled and frozen food sector. Specifically, simultaneous multi-frequency scanning is making it much easier for manufacturers to identify hard-to-find metals in food products with high conductivity (so-called "wet" products). These products may, literally, have high water content. Additionally, above-average conductivity may also be linked to high levels of minerals, particularly salt. These can be found in products such as bacon, or ready meals.

Over one billion tons of food is wasted every year. The Food and Agriculture Organization also estimates that in developing countries, up to 40% of total food produced can be lost before it even reaches market. As such, implementing methods of safely storing and transporting food is crucial for being able to continue to feed the planet.

Kellogg Co. believes in transparency. It also believes in sustainability. That’s why it was named Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2016 Sustainable Processor of the Year.