Cold chain preservation to secure food safety is not an option but an obligation. A crucial aspect of the global food demand. Once food has been harvested, gathered, or slaughtered, enzymes and bacteria become active in this food which cause it to deteriorate in texture and composition until it eventually becomes unfit for consumption.

Food preservation refers to the different techniques that are applied to food to prevent it from spoiling.

The science behind food preservation involves either:

• The destruction of micro-organisms responsible for causing food spoilage.
• Reducing/eliminating the moisture from food.
• Altering the temperature and other conditions that favor the growth of micro-organisms hence retarding microbial growth and replication.

A cold room is an airtight storage facility with controlled temperatures, used to store goods that need to operate below room temparatures. Cold storages come in different sizes and capacities and designed to house all kind of foods.  Industries that require coldrooms  include food and beverages, agriculture, medical and research facilities.

The general guidelines for food storage are:

• Perishable (e.g., milk, meat, raw fish)
• Semi-perishable (e.g., vegetables and grains)
• Non-perishable foods (tinned or dried food)

Conservation is only effective and safe if the right environment are maintained. The use of cold is one of the most universal systems for the conservation of food, both in the domestic and industrial. Storage by cold storage is a completely natural preservation process based on the principle of cold reduction compared to the external environment temperature. The benefits include:

• It allows to slow the activity of pathogenic microorganisms in food, and consequently, to extend its useful life.
• More efficient utilization of food consumed by the body contributing to improved health and nutrition outcomes.
• Prevention of food-borne illnesses.
• Less food wastage.
• Reduction in post-harvest losses.

Its important to note that unlike the application of heat, refrigeration does not destroy pathogens but merely inhibits their growth. It helps to reduce nutrient loss as well as maintain the nutritional value of food after a long time. Food does not require preservatives because it is stored at low temperatures to ensure safe use.

Its essential to have adequate storage facilities both in the production and supply area in the food processing industries to ensure uninteruption from post-harvest or slaughter to consumption or use.

Visiontec’s vision is to create entire solutions for the hospitality, health and sagricultural sectors.  We are the pioneers of making polyutherane foam (PUF) panels, used in assembling cold rooms due to their thermal and acoustic insulation properties, in East Africa.

With the widest product portfolio for cold room, at Visiontec we offer a powerful combination of expertise and options that will enhance your cold design and installation to desired dimensions and cooling specifications.