Recently, Hurricane Beryl, a Category 5 storm, caused significant damage in the Caribbean before hitting the Gulf Coast of the U.S., marking the start of the 2024 hurricane season. Fred Wu, CEO of DeltaTrak, highlights the impact weather can have on the cold chain.
“Major weather and disaster situations that can knock out the power will disrupt nearly all aspects—the harvesting, processing, precooling, and refrigerated storage of perishable commodities—jeopardizing the cold chain and the shelf life of the commodity. Food safety is critically important, so weather-related contamination at any point of the cold chain is a primary concern,” Wu says. He adds, “During transport, unexpected weather can force route changes, increasing time, fuel, and cold chain resources to maintain cargo quality. For retailers, this means delays and potential quality issues with perishable goods.”
Wu highlights that having real-time visibility of not only the location of the asset but also the environmental conditions of the cargo transported by the asset provides the various actors in the cold chain with the data immediately; it allows them to make informed decisions in real time to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of perishable goods.
Click to read full article in “Supply & Demand Chain Executive.”