The critical role of the cold chain in food supply and production was brought into sharp focus at another in the series of World Cold Chain Summits, held on 7 and 8 March 2018 in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, and attended by SuperCool Group Managing Director Mark Mitchell.
Having attended the summits held previously in London and Singapore, Mark said the Vietnam event was one of the best yet, with the speakers and presentations focussed on a solution approach for the cold chain in Vietnam.
While all the data revealed at the summit was informative, the most compelling presentation was delivered by Dr Shih-Hsun-Hsu from the National Taiwan University which showed that APEC nations lose 74.02% of food between production and consumption. Of that figure, 16.45% is lost in storage and handling, 29.20% is lost in processing and packing and 28.37% is lost in distribution.
These dramatic figures prove the major role the cold chain has to play in the total food supply and production puzzle.
Other significant moments at the summit included the dialogue taking place between major Vietnamese cold chain industry leaders and government officials to develop a means to reduce food loss and waste, and improve food supply in Vietnam. This dialogue was recognised by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Carrier Transicold and the Vietnam Institute of Agriculture, Engineering and Post-Harvest Technology to undertake strong cooperation in cold chain development for Vietnam.
At workshop sessions, Mark Mitchell presented the virtues of taking product temperatures versus air temperature as a key solution to achieving a compliant cold chain in Vietnam.
Other major issues addressed covered the lack of infrastructure, investment and knowledge. An excellent summary of these issues was delivered by Gerald Cavalier of Tecnea-Cemafroid, an internationally recognised expert in cold chain and refrigeration, based in France.
‘Once again, UTC and Carrier Transicold are to be congratulated for sponsoring such a meaningful and worthwhile event,’ Mark summed up.
