Safe Transport Practices For Commercial Food Products

If you're considering transporting your commercial food supply yourself without adequate cooling facilities to cut costs, think again. The food safety risks involved with improper transportation of food could endanger your stock, customers and business. 

Let's look at the three main risks of poor food transportation, and why you should have your commercial food products transported by a refrigeration courier service.

Bacteria Growth

All high-risk chilled foods must be kept at 5 degrees Celsius or below, in order to comply with food safety standards in Australia and New Zealand. Foods that are at high-risk of bacteria growth include:

• Raw meats
• Seafood
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Prepared salads
• Cooked rice or pasta
• Cured meats and paté

When these foods are kept in the temperature danger zone, bacteria can grow rapidly. While cooking these foods above 75 degrees Celsius will kill most bacteria, you cannot rely on this method as a fail-safe solution.

A professional refrigeration courier is well-versed in the potential risks of bacteria growth and safe temperatures for food storage, and their services will reflect this knowledge accordingly. A good refrigerated transport service will store your food at the optimal temperature in insulated boxes, and when the food reaches it's destination, it will be unloaded promptly to a similarly safe refrigerated environment.

Cross Contamination

If raw foods are stored incorrectly, cross contamination can occur. Poor storage, such as stacking raw food on top of cooked food, using broken containers, or having insufficient temperature control, can all cause cross contamination. Meat juices and other liquids can quickly contaminate other cooked foods, causing rapid spread of bacteria. If these cooked foods are not destined for reheating above 75 degrees Celsius, the bacteria from cross contamination will remain in the food until consumption.

If you choose to have your food transported by a refrigeration company, they will ensure that raw foods are kept separate and within the required temperature zone, keeping your foods safe from risks of cross contamination.

Chemical Contamination

If foods are exposed to exterior pollutants, such as pet hair, chemicals, dirt and airborne fragrances, they may be contaminated. Such exposure can easily occur if transporting food in a general purpose vehicle. A refrigeration company specialising in food transportation, however, takes the utmost care to maintain a high standard of hygiene. Trucks are routinely cleaned thoroughly, and foods are often stored in insulated containers for added protection.

So for the health and safety of your clients and your business, use a refrigerated courier business, such as Be Cool Refrigerated Couriers, next time you're transporting commercial food products.