Perishable foodstuffs require special handling during storage and transport, explains Edward Hutchison, Managing Director of BITO Storage Systems.
Storing and transporting food brings its own challenges due to the perishability of fresh products, special temperature requirements, legal regulations and hygiene rules. Ultimately, the aim is to ensure food safety for consumers. An important step in achieving this is to create a perfect bin and container shelving system that gives the smoothest operation. So it is definitely worth spending time to get the right configuration of storage and the right container to match the products.
Shelf life in commercial food storage is critical. Maintaining the correct delivery sequence (First In, First Out, (FIFO) for the best-before date (BBD) is crucial for keeping food wastage as low as possible. Carton and pallet flow racks are particularly suitable here because they can be filled with goods on one side, which are later removed on the other side. The FIFO principle makes it easier to monitor expiry dates, batches or production series. A shuttle rack storage system can also provide the required FIFO storage.
Making containers work
Depending on the type of container, there are many useful optional extras to further optimise its role in retail warehousing and logistics. For example, lids to protect contents from dust and dirt, which can also be security-sealed to prevent unauthorised access to goods. Dollies create convenient in-house transport. Label pockets protect labels to ensure clear barcode reading and identification. Bag holder bars, mounted on the upper sides of a container, are a particularly practical accessory for the booming online food retail business. Translucent containers with coloured attached lids offer an ideal aid for organising stock, while also helping to give visibility of products. For delivery purposes, folding boxes and ‘stack & nest’ containers maximise storage capacity and minimise occupied space on empty return transport to cut freight costs.
Safe transport containers for food
Food is increasingly ordered online from e-commerce or e-grocery companies and transport time plays a major role during delivery. When it comes to the ‘last mile’ and short delivery times, demand is growing for innovative packaging solutions for refrigerated transport, especially with passive cooling, to open up new possibilities for the distribution and storage of goods. Such packaging is particularly advantageous if the customer is not at home at the time of delivery. Even without active cooling, it is possible to maintain the required temperature range along the entire cold chain in logistics for up to 48 hours.
An ideal container system for the food trade and a solution for last mile e-commerce or e-grocery, is the MB Food & Delivery box from BITO. The system consists of container variants, modular insulating inserts, cold packs and bottom dividers. It can be used to transport many different types of food in a space-saving way. The container is available in a variety of configurations. For example, different insulating inserts made of expandable polypropylene (EPP) allow it to be used in dry or refrigerated areas. Inserts are available in different sizes, and a single box can also be equipped for both fresh and temperature zones. The correct cooling temperature is maintained by means of ‘high’ or ‘semi-high’ cooling packs.
It is helpful to find a supplier that offers a range of bin and container designs to meet different applications. A ‘one stop shop’ supplier that can manufacture and design racking and shelving as well as the bins and containers contained within will ensure that both parts of the bin and container shelving system are optimally adapted to each other.
For further information, visit www.bito.com.
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