Cold Chain: Technologies and Best Practices for Summer Food Preservation

During the summer months, proper cold chain management becomes essential to ensure food safety, especially for specialized products such as gluten-free foods, which require even more stringent preservation standards.

The importance of the cold chain in summer

Why summer is a critical challenge

The interruption of the cold chain is the cause of many foodborne illnesses, especially in the summer. During the warm months, high temperatures increase the risk of bacterial growth, shorten shelf life, and can compromise the integrity of food, even during short transport periods.

Gluten-free products are particularly vulnerable for several reasons:

• Increased sensitivity to cross-contamination
• Alternative ingredients that may be more perishable
• Specialized production processes that require specific controls
• Shelf life often reduced compared to traditional products

Specific risks of the summer season

Proper cold chain management allows food to be stored at the right temperature at every stage of the distribution chain. This prevents products from experiencing thermal shock, which could otherwise alter and deteriorate their nutritional and organoleptic properties.

Critical temperatures for food preservation

Regulatory standards for food safety

In accordance with the HACCP plan, each food must be stored at a specific temperature:

Fresh and refrigerated foods:

• Fruit and vegetables can tolerate temperatures up to 8°C, however, care must be taken with ready-to-use packaged fruit and vegetables.
• Fresh meat : Meat of any kind is best stored at around 3-4°C
• Dairy : Eggs, dairy products, cream-based desserts and other foods that are "keep refrigerated after opening" is the middle one (usually 4 – 5 °C)

Frozen products:

• As for frozen foods, the maximum permitted temperature is -18°
• Frozen or deep-frozen foods should be stored in a temperature range between -25 and -18°C

Tolerances and safety margins

It is expected that, even for short periods, during the various phases of the chain, the temperature may rise up to a maximum of 3°C above the optimal temperature, however the standard provides for a tolerance of just 1-2°C to ensure maximum safety.

Technologies and protocols for cold chain management

Integrated approach to conservation

BSG adopts a multidisciplinary approach to ensure maximum efficiency in the summer storage of gluten-free foods, integrating heat-insulated packaging, temperature detection systems during transport, and continuous monitoring in the warehouse to preserve product quality even in the hottest months.

BSG Summer Food Safety Protocols

Temperature-controlled warehouse management

Optimizing refrigerated space: To ensure food safety and optimize cold chain management, it's essential to adopt some best practices. The first step to effectively managing cold chain logistics is to optimize warehouse performance at all levels of the supply chain.

• Differentiated climatic zones for product types
• Forced ventilation systems for uniform cold distribution
• Humidity control to prevent condensation
• Energy backups for business continuity

Optimized delivery times

BSG Summer Strategy:

• Priority morning deliveries during the cooler hours
• Optimized routes to reduce transport times
• Reduced delivery slots to minimize heat exposure
• Coordination with customers for immediate reception

Specialized staff training

Specific skills for the hot season:

• Recognizing signs of thermal deterioration
• Emergency procedures for refrigeration failures
• Safe handling under thermal stress
• Enhanced quality control protocols

Best practices for summer storage

Recommendations for industry professionals

Optimal cold chain management in summer requires an integrated approach involving all stakeholders in the food supply chain, from production to final distribution.

Basic guidelines:

• Constant monitoring of temperatures during all phases
• Continuous staff training on summer procedures
• Implementation of emergency backup systems
• Accurate documentation for traceability and compliance

Benefits for restaurant partners

Consistent quality assurance

Benefits for BSG customers:

• Intact products identical to those leaving the factory
• Shelf life preserved for maximum commercial durability
• Certified food safety in every season
• Reduction of waste due to thermal deterioration

Conclusions: Food safety as a priority

Facing the summer safely also means training restaurant staff, ensuring short delivery times, and systematically monitoring every critical step. Only in this way can we guarantee that the product delivered is identical to the one that left the factory.

The goal of the Cold Chain is to best preserve the product, ensuring its integrity, hygiene standards, and food safety. BSG works hard every day to maintain these standards even in the most challenging conditions of the Italian summer.

With over 20 years of experience in the gluten-free and food intolerance sector, BSG is a reliable partner for mass and tourist catering, ensuring quality and food safety through consolidated technologies and tested operational protocols.