In food transport, there is one thing that cannot be compromised: the cold chain. It not only guarantees the quality of the food, but also health and safety, regulatory compliance and, ultimately, the trust of the end customer.
And yet, despite increasingly efficient equipment, cold chain breaks are still common. Why? Because they don't just depend on the equipment, but on the entire logistics system: the choice of vehicle, how it is loaded, monitored, stored and how you respond.
Here are the five most critical break points — and how to anticipate them effectively.
Managing your cold chain
In cold chain operations, the stakes are high and the margins for error are slim. Whether you're dealing with perishable food, pharmaceuticals, or sensitive chemicals, maintaining strict temperature control is essential.
Everyone in the field knows that even brief fluctuations can trigger quality issues, regulatory headaches, or full product loss. This article cuts past the basics and focuses on five key mistakes that still slip through the cracks, even for experienced operators and how to avoid them.
1. Choosing the wrong vehicle: the leading cause of cold chain breaks
A refrigerated vehicle is not just a means of transport: it is an active link in the preservation chain. If it is the wrong size, poorly insulated or poorly maintained, it becomes a risk factor. And in the food transport industry, a break in the cold chain is not just a simple temperature deviation — it can have serious health, regulatory and economic consequences.
An oversized van for a small load, an unsuitable refrigeration unit, a non-ATP-certified body or equipment without independent power supply. All these technical discrepancies expose goods to temperatures outside the safety zone, sometimes without any visible warning.
The result: degraded products, lost batches, disputes with customers or non-compliance in the event of an inspection. In some cases, this can lead to the withdrawal of goods or even the carrier being held liable.
To avoid this, it is essential to have a fleet of vehicles that are:
- suitable for the intended use (positive, negative or multi-temperature refrigeration),
- compliant with ATP standards,
- regularly inspected and calibrated for the type of goods being transported.
A well-configured vehicle is not a luxury, it is insurance.
2. Break in the cold chain: underestimated loading time
This is a grey area in many organisations: the time between the goods leaving the warehouse and the actual closing of the doors. However, this pivotal moment in refrigerated transport is one of the most prone to breaks in the cold chain.
In urgent or routine situations, certain practices become automatic: leaving doors open ‘while loading’, leaving pallets on the dock before departure, starting a vehicle that has not been pre-cooled. These seemingly harmless actions can be enough to cause the temperature to rise above the critical threshold, especially for highly sensitive products (meat, fish, dairy products, etc.).
Cold storage cannot be improvised. Even with a high-performance unit, it is unrealistic to believe that it will compensate for slow loading or poor preparation. A rise in temperature at the time of departure, even if brief, can affect the stability of the transport throughout the entire route.
Best practices are well known:
- synchronise flows,
- limit the time spent outside the cold room,
- organise loads by route (rather than by opportunity),
- pre-cool the vehicle before loading the goods.
Consistency is everything. It's not just about having the right technology, it's about applying the right processes, every time. In cold chain logistics, it's the discipline behind the method that separates a stable, compliant operation from a compromised batch with no recovery path.
3. Unmonitored transport
The refrigeration unit is running. The journey is underway. But... what is the actual temperature in the box? Without a monitoring device, it is impossible to know.
A temperature deviation can occur at any time: incorrect programming, doors being opened, technical malfunctions. Without active monitoring, you only realise when you arrive, and by then, it's too late.
Real-time or retrospective temperature traceability has become both a regulatory requirement and a tool for providing proof. Smart Connect provides accurate, remote monitoring that is easy to use, allowing you to document that products have been stored correctly and to take immediate action in the event of a deviation.
The versatility of Smart Connect supports with compliance in the event of an audit to simply optimising routes.
4. Uncontrolled cold room temperature on site
Transport is only one link in the cold chain. However, many incidents occur on arrival, when products must be stored temporarily before being sorted, repackaged or distributed.
Waiting without a suitable solution, even for a short time, can be enough to cause the target temperature to be exceeded.
Whether positive or negative cold, maintaining a constant and compliant cold room temperature is essential right up to the final destination.
This is precisely where refrigerated containers come in.
Designed for challenging environments (lack of infrastructure, mobility, emergencies), they allow products to be kept at a controlled temperature between +5°C and -20°C with great precision. Some models can even combine several cold zones in a single unit.
Easy to deploy, self-contained and available in several sizes, this equipment can be used in a variety of settings:
- on a logistics platform without a permanent cold room,
- on a food production or event site,
- or as additional capacity for an overloaded platform.
These are not temporary solutions, but fully operational cold rooms capable of guaranteeing the continuity of the cold chain without relying on vehicles.
5. Poor management of unforeseen events
Even with rigorous organisation, there is no such thing as zero risk: vehicle breakdowns, accidents, peak order periods, exceptional deliveries, etc. It is these unforeseen events, often minor at first, that can lead to the most serious disruptions if nothing is in place to deal with them.
The challenge is not to eliminate risk, but to be able to contain it. And that requires the ability to react quickly: temporary reinforcements, replacement vehicles, immediate technical assistance, reallocation of routes, etc.
Short-term rental of a refrigerated vehicle, which can be activated within 24 hours, is a key lever for absorbing peaks in activity without disrupting service. This solution is essential during holiday periods, busy times or unexpected increases in demand.
In conclusion: anticipate and control breaks in the cold chain
Maintaining the cold chain relies on a series of decisions, actions and technical resources. It is not a subject reserved for experts: it is a daily challenge for all professionals in the food transport industry.
Avoiding breaks in the cold chain means ensuring that your products arrive compliant, safe and intact, from start to finish.
And that is precisely what we promise at Petit Forestier: ready-to-use refrigeration solutions designed for real-world use, available everywhere, and accompanied by a Full Service that makes all the difference.
More information on this topic:
- What is the cold chain?
The cold chain refers to all the measures taken to keep products at a constant and appropriate temperature from production to distribution. It applies in particular to fresh or frozen food, medicines and other heat-sensitive products.
- How does the cold chain work?
The cold chain relies on maintaining a constant temperature, appropriate to the nature of the products, throughout their journey: production, storage, transport and distribution. It relies on specialised equipment (refrigerated vehicles, cold rooms, insulated containers) and rigorous monitoring (temperature recordings, regular checks) to avoid any thermal breaks.
- How can the cold chain be maintained?
The cold chain can be maintained by:
- Checking the temperature of products on receipt and on delivery.
- Pre-cool vehicles and containers before loading.
- Limit exposure to room temperature (loading, unloading, waiting).
- Store sensitive products in suitable, refrigerated enclosures.
- Check and record temperatures as soon as possible, especially during long transport or intermediate storage.
- How can you tell if the cold chain has been broken?
A cold chain is considered broken when the product has been exposed to a temperature higher than the prescribed temperature, even temporarily. This can result in a change in texture, colour, excessive condensation or an abnormal odour. For professionals, the best indicator is temperature monitoring via recorders or connected sensors.
- Why is it important to maintain the cold chain?
Maintaining the cold chain ensures food safety and prevents the proliferation of harmful bacteria. It is also a regulatory requirement, particularly in the food industry. A break in the chain can render a product unfit for consumption, even if it appears intact.