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Maintaining product quality and cost containment are two of the biggest priorities for frozen and refrigerated food retailers and their cold chain partners. That’s why the industry is continually focused on improving performance through effective use of new and existing technologies and implementation of best practices that support both top-and bottom-line growth. A recently introduced cold packaging solution may be one such solution, although only time will tell if it lives up to its promise.

Candor Expedite, Plano, Texas, recently launched Candor Food Chain, which combines the firm’s shipment services with a fully reusable cold packaging system. The packaging technology at the heart of the venture, made avail- able through a partnership with Madrid, Spain-based Cool Chain, allows trading and logistical partners to move pallet- and box-sized shipments of frozen and refrigerated foods and beverages on non-refrigerated trucks for up to nine days without dry ice. Cool Chain’s technology has been used within the pharmaceutical industry for more than a decade.

The temperature-controlled and stackable box and pallet system can cool temperatures down to -10 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature and GPS monitoring assure product quality control, and the cooling panels and other system elements are reusable. The system promises to cut costs by reducing shipments as it allows grocers and their vendors to combine frozen, refrigerated and dry goods in the same load.

A TIMELY IDEA

Shane Brennan

Shane Brennan, senior vp of global communications at The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), Arlington, Va., says similar approaches are already being explored outside the United States.

“In many ways, it is not a new idea,” he explains. “Shifting to an ice box model for refrigerated distribution would be a step back to the origins of cold chain transportation. It has returned to prominence because of its use in the growing home delivery, meal solution and food sectors. It is also a commonplace model for pharmaceutical supply chains, most notably the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain, which was made possible by solutions like this. The innovations here are very interesting. The reusable boxes and non-use of dry ice are attractive features, as this is the major drawback of other passive cooling solutions.”

Brennan sees three significant challenges for systems deploying this type of technology: scalability, flexibility, and backhauling.

‘Shifting to an ice box model for refrigerated distribution would be a step back to the origins of cold chain transportation.’

Achieving scale means that “the higher up the supply chain you go, the larger the product volumes being moved and stored,” says Brennan. “There are labor implications for packing, handling and moving these boxes.”

He points out that there is also generally little room for error when moving goods through the cold chain. But the risk becomes more pronounced when goods are moved in a non-refrigerated environment. “Passive cooling technologies are, arguably, less flexible as they have an inbuilt countdown until they stop providing the cold needed. So all involved would have to be very confident that the supply chain will be able to cope with delays, interruptions or changes of plans,” says Brennan.

The final consideration is the logistics behind the logistics. “The single biggest issue is how to manage a supply chain that not only has to manage the delivery of the goods in the containers but also the return of empty containers,” says Brennan.

However, he is interested in seeing where this approach goes. “This technology has a place and could grow in importance, especially in the urban, delivered-wholesale and foodservice markets, but probably not at the bulk end of the chain.”

PROVIDING PROOF OF CONCEPT

Nicole Glenn

Nicole Glenn, CEO of Candor Expedite, says the company’s search for a cold chain solution began during the pandemic when a client who was already at capacity had to spend $1,000 to move two pallets.

“I said to him that we needed to come up with [an alternative],” recalls Glenn. “So, we tested a couple of different options that already existed in the marketplace, but we couldn’t find anything that would really fill that gap.

“It took me about four years to find something that really lived up to where we needed to be in the United States. And so that’s how I was able to partner with Cool Chain and get an understanding of what they’re doing in Europe. European companies are embracing this on the pharmaceutical side. And so we’re trying to bring that to the food sector and make it cost-effective… The pallet [approach came about] because we wanted to recreate this concept on a larger scale for the food sector.”

Candor Food Chain is taking a phased rollout approach, starting with a facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, to serve the Dallas market. The company plans to open seven different hub locations around the country, with facilities in places like Orlando to serve the Florida market. “I would love to have 50 of these locations,” says Glenn.

Recently introduced cold packaging technology promises to enable palletized shipments of frozen and refrigerated foods without the need for a reefer.

The new service is designed for grocery retailers, wholesalers, and other companies involved in food distribution that need to make multiple delivery stops. Companies can combine frozen, refrigerated, and ambient products to maximize deliveries per stop on a regional or local basis.

“You can put the product on the truck and open it 100 times if you needed to. It’s not going to impact the integrity of each pallet, because each pallet is cooled instead of the whole truck,” says Glenn.

Candor’s CEO says the firm works with some “high-volume retailers” that have been using three different trucks to make separate deliveries. “We were able to consolidate that and create less disruption for the stores,” she reports. “Having one truck make a single delivery simplifies and takes costs out of the process for individual stores and their corporate parents.”

Glenn admits that any new approach invites some skepticism, and the only way to overcome that is to demonstrate proof of concept through controlled tests run with customers. “Once we have more case studies and we put that proof out there, I think more people will be willing to take that chance and see how it will work in their supply chain.”

‘Each pallet is cooled instead of the whole truck.’

As it kicks off its service, Candor is already looking to make design and other improvements to better serve grocery and foodservice customers. “I’m actually working with the manufacturer to see if we can do some sort of side opening instead of a top load,” says Glenn. “That way you can just peel that insulation back and then maybe even use a forklift or pallet jacks to place it [product] in there. Right now, it is a little bit more of a manual process, but we’re working on that.”

Candor is already testing its system in six [U.S.] markets and can open new distribution facilities for its boxes in about a month. It is also currently working with a European manufacturer that says it can produce up to 200 new pallet systems weekly to meet demand.