The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) recently updated and reissued its Cold Chain Transportation Best Practices guide, which outlines industry-prescribed best practices for safely and hygienically transporting perishable goods.
The guidance developed by industry experts is a comprehensive resource for any business or practitioner seeking to implement the best possible practices in planning, operationalizing, and recording the safe transport of perishable foods, GCCA said. It is designed to help businesses meet and exceed the requirements of regulators and food standards certifiers.
“Safety is the single most crucial responsibility conveyed on businesses charged with transporting a nation’s food and the Best Practices guide plays a pivotal role in ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant transportation within the cold chain industry,” Don Durm, chairman of the GCCA transportation board, said in a news release. “A highly professional, experienced, and well-regulated food supply chain benefits consumers. Regulators provide significant flexibility to operators to ensure they implement the best procedures for the circumstances and purposes for which they operate.
“However, I know from experience that businesses appreciate a strong, clear reference point to benchmark what constitutes industry-best practices, and that is what GCCA has delivered. The added benefit to the day-to-day business execution in implementing the best practices will yield operational efficiency, saving time and money in a highly competitive environment.
“I am grateful to the team and my fellow reviewers for giving their time and expertise to advise on the publication of this latest update.”
The Cold Chain Transportation Best Practices guide covers:
- What to agree in writing before taking on work
- How to prepare vehicles, equipment, and processes to avoid failures
- Pre-loading and loading procedures
- Departure and arrival processes
- En route requirements
The guide is supported by checklists and other resources, GCCA added.
GCCA will host a panel discussion on implementing the principles in the guide May 16.
“We are delighted to be able to support the industry with this vital guidance,” said Lowell Randel, GCCA senior vice president for government and legal affairs. “As a membership organization, the GCCA is uniquely positioned to provide this guidance by engaging with expert practitioners to ensure that policies and procedures are implemented in ways that work in real world contexts. Since we first published our best practice guidance in this area it has proven to be an invaluable resource for our members.”
