Meeting consumer demands and avoiding waste represents a great challenge for the cold chain of perishable products for companies today.
By Maersk
The fluctuation in market costs requires a supply chain that is not only profitable, but also reliable, with the incorporation of new technologies that support the logistics chain to adapt to variations in the environment.
Latin America is a key player in the export business of products that require a cold chain, covering a wide range such as meat, fruits, vegetables, flowers, dairy, seafood and even pharmaceutical products. However, ensuring the quality and integrity of these products throughout their journey means maintaining an uninterrupted cold chain and having the technology to transport them, which is a considerable challenge.
According to the National Agricultural Council, Mexico stands out in the use of the cold chain in the agricultural industry, ranking tenth as a producer and seventh as an exporter, with a food production of more than 290 million tons.
The growth of the cold chain in Mexico is significant and is expected to continue in the coming years. According to Mordor Intelligence, the cold chain logistics market in Mexico is valued at approximately $4.06 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $6.06 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.36%.
On the other hand, the pharmaceutical industry, which also requires precision for the transport of medicines in the cold chain and has shown an average growth in sales of 9% from 2019 to 2022, being a growing percentage year after year, sustaining constant growth due to investment in development and technology with 631 research and technological development projects from 2019 to 2022, according to the National Survey of the Pharmaceutical Industry (ENIFARM) 2023.
This has increased the need for resilient logistics solutions, with the aim of optimizing product profitability, improving storage and refrigerated transport infrastructure, and thus minimizing waste and addressing supply chain impacts.
Ryo Aranda, Head of Cold Chain & Chemicals at Maersk, explained that meeting consumer requirements by avoiding waste and being sustainable is a major challenge for companies. "The fluctuation of market cost demands a supply chain that is cost-effective, reliable and able to adapt to variations. The integration of a robust chain and the use of visibility platforms and preventive actions are crucial to mitigate cost overruns and increase reliability, allowing companies to achieve their goals and avoid waste. It is essential to modernize the infrastructure and train suppliers constantly, implementing integrated models that offer transparency and traceability, which will avoid losses and raise quality," Aranda stressed.
"Even though cold chain capacity in Mexico has doubled in the last five years, needs in North America will continue to grow, so logistics companies must be prepared to offer resilient and innovative solutions. Logistics companies must play an orchestrator role, integrating technology to connect and offer total visibility in the supply chain and mitigate waste. This will be a key challenge in the coming years," Aranda explained.
To overcome these challenges, it is necessary to have a comprehensive logistics strategy that allows end-to-end visibility of cargo and synchronized planning between logistics actors, this added to the implementation of digitalization and visibility technologies will allow accurate planning of the supply chain, mitigating extra costs and streamlining logistics cycles or transit times. improving the quality of the cargo and therefore its shelf value, generating a double impact by adding savings in logistics expenses.
When we talk about digitizing or adding technologies, we think of a large investment, but there are players like Maersk in the market that already have that investment made and make it available to their customers, that is where this evolution of the supply chain becomes accessible to all companies and without a fixed risk. but allowing them to ensure an efficient, reliable and sustainable supply chain, capable of meeting market demands while minimizing waste and additional costs, giving them competitiveness in their different markets.
Refrigerated Container Technology
Over the past two decades, reefer technology has advanced significantly. A key example is the development of the controlled atmosphere, which has become an essential tool for the transport of perishable goods. This technology allows for precise regulation of variables such as the concentration of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, temperature and humidity, which extends the shelf life of the products and ensures their quality during transport.
Maersk has integrated the Captain Peter platform into its reefer containers, providing real-time monitoring and a detailed overview of cargo conditions. This system includes USDA probe readings, temperature variations, and location updates, facilitating proactive and transparent management, minimizing spoilage risks by ensuring products are kept in the proper temperature range.
Cold treatment is another crucial technique in the control of pests and diseases in fruits and vegetables, especially relevant for markets with strict safety and quality regulations. In addition, StarRipe refrigerated containers allow you to manage the ripening process of the fruit during transport, achieving the desired color and level of ripeness before reaching its destination.
In addition to this, systems and platforms that allow visibility and traceability, operational, documentary and executive with a web platform or dashboards customizable to each business or company are a key tool for control and strategic decision-making in a business.
As consumer expectations and the demands of international trade grow, the adoption of digital solutions and long-term collaborative logistics planning become indispensable. The cold chain, with its technological innovations, is not only guaranteeing the quality of products, but is also playing a key role in the growth of exports in Latin America, consolidating the region as an important player in global trade.
