Refrigeration: What is it really?

Refrigeration is the process in which heat of a certain product is being removed or transfer from one location to another.  It also includes the process of reducing and maintaining the temperature of a body below the general temperature of its surrounding.  This is done, traditionally, by a mechanical system. But nowadays, it can be driven out by heat, magnetism, electricity laser or by other means. 

There are many methods of refrigeration that can be classified, namely: non-cyclic, cyclic, thermoelectric and magnetic.

Non-cyclic Refrigeration

In this method, the cooling is accomplished by melting the ice or subliming the dry ice. This method is commonly used for small-scale refrigeration such as in laboratories, workshops and portable coolers.

Cyclic Refrigeration

This method removes the heat from a low-temperature space or source and rejected to a high-temperature sink with the help of external work, and its inverse, the thermodynamic power cycle.

Thermoelectric Refrigeration

Thermoelectric cooling uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between the junctions of two different types of materials. This effect is commonly used in camping and portable coolers and for cooling electronic components and small instruments.

Magnetic Refrigeration

This cooling method is based on the magneto caloric effect, an intrinsic property of magnetic solids.  The refrigerant is often a paramagnetic salt, such as cerium magnesium dipoles in this case are those of the electron shells of the paramagnetic atoms.

Most of us are mistakenly thinks that refrigeration stops the spoilage of a goods or products.  But the truth is that refrigeration does not stop the food spoilage, it just delays it.  Most spoilage microorganisms are not active when it is cold, so spoilage takes longer.  Some spoilage like in over ripe fruits, may be caused by enzymes and enzymatic activity is also reduced be the colder temperature.

The Main Purpose of Refrigeration

The fundamental reason for having a refrigerator is to keep food cold. Cold temperatures help food stay fresh longer. The basic idea behind refrigeration is to slow down the activity of bacteria (which all food contains) so that it takes longer for the bacteria to spoil the food.

For example, bacteria will spoil milk in two or three hours if the milk is left out on the kitchen counter at room temperature. However, by reducing the temperature of the milk, it will stay fresh for a week or two -- the cold temperature inside the refrigerator decreases the activity of the bacteria that much. By freezing the milk you can stop the bacteria altogether and the milk can last for months (until effects like freezer burn begin to spoil the milk in non-bacterial ways).

Refrigeration is main reason why we can preserve and extend the shelf life of perishable goods.  It is the reason why we can taste and experience a food as fresh as it was just harvested.

Sources:

Wikipedia.com

WikiAnswer.com

HowStuffWorks.com

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Things to Consider in Choosing a Refrigerated Truck Body

A refrigerated truck is designed to carry or transfer perishable goods at specific temperature.  It is one of the main equipment needed so the flow of the cold supply chain will not be broken.  This makes the perishable goods extend and ensure their shelf lives.  Some of these products are blood, confectionaries, fresh agricultural produce, seafood, frozen foods, photographic films, chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs.

One of the main integral parts of a refrigerated truck is the truck body or the refrigerated box.  It contained the air coming out from the cooling system.  It also prevents the heat to go enter inside the goods. 

A good refrigerated truck body             allows more cooling inside that maintains the goods freshness.  So we must consider many things in choosing the right and perfect truck body for our needs.

Insulation

The difference between an ordinary truck body and a refrigerated truck body is the insulation.  Ordinary truck body doesn’t have insulation.  This insulation helps prevent the heat to enter the inside of the body.  The thicker the insulation is, the lesser the heat can enter.

One more thing about insulation is that, it should have low water absorption.  EPS or the Extruded Polystyrene is the best insulating material for refrigerated truck body compared to the polyurethane. It has high heat-insulating properties, low-water absorption, light weight and have longer life.

Truck Body Material

Many supplier of truck body used aluminum as their main material.  It is lightweight and cheap.  But we must also consider its life.  Aluminum trucks may be cheap but it will only last a certain year.  We must choose a truck body that can last even a lifetime like a fiberglass.  Fiberglass gives a clean and seamless appearance that is less vulnerable to leaks and is easy to service and repair.

Door Gaskets

Choose a refrigerated truck that have thick and does have many layer of door gaskets that makes heat transfer virtually impossible.

Truck Accessories

As a corporate food company, we must maintain the look of our products and even the equipments we are using.  If we are using ordinary door accessories, it may rust.  It may also lead to bacteria growth that may affect the products inside the truck.  As much as possible, choose trucks with stainless steel door accessories because these are prone to rust.

Also, an individual clip-type plastic curtain makes it easier to use and faster to replace and service compare to ordinary curtains.  LED lightning fixtures are used on both the interior and exterior for better visibility, efficiency, and 5x longer life than regular bulbs is must also be consider.

These are some of the many things we must put on mind on buying a refrigerated truck body.

Coolaire Consolidated, Inc. is the Philippines’ top supplier of refrigerated truck bodies, truck cooling system and refrigerated containers.

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Refrigerated Trucks: An Essential to the Cold Chain Industry

A refrigerated truck is one of the main equipment needed so the flow of the cold supply chain will not be broken.  It is design to carry perishable goods.  It is also used to help extend and ensure the shelf life of products such as blood, confectionaries, fresh agricultural produce, seafood, frozen foods, photographic films, chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs.

According to Ehow.com, “A reefer truck is a truck or van usually 1 ton or larger that has a refrigerated unit built either directly on the frame or is transported by trailer. It's refrigerated by diesel-powered generators and liquid carbon dioxide, or CO2. Reefer trucks range from simple ice cream trucks to large containers carrying perishable goods across the country.”

Refrigerated trucks are used by companies who are in the cold chain industry like ice cream, frozen meats, canned products, confectionaries, seafood, fruits and vegetables.  They used this kind of truck in order to maintain the temperature and maintain the freshness of the products.  In this way, the consumer will get or buy the products as fresh as it were harvested.

A refrigerated truck mainly composes of an insulated refrigerated body, a truck cooling system and a truck’s cab and chassis.  A proper insulated body and a powerful cooling system is the key for a better distribution of perishable goods.  Bad truck refrigeration may rotten your products.

For example, a truck body with low insulating capacity may let heat to enter the body and destroy your products.  On the cold chain industry, heat is the main enemy.  If you let heat touch your products, then you are accepting your loss. 

According to Wisegeek.com, “Many different types of products may require the use of refrigerated trucking. The most common need for refrigerated trucking is in the transport of agricultural products that tend to spoil or decompose easily, such as fruits or vegetables. Of course, frozen foods also require refrigeration and usually the same units that can be used to refrigerate can also be used to freeze. Some types of photo processing equipment may also require being kept within a certain temperature range, the maximum of which would likely be exceeded by traditional trucking.

Generally, refrigeration units are made to withstand the rigors of commercial shipping so all normal loading and unloading methods are possible. This includes using forklifts and pallet trucks. Some refrigeration units have grooved floors so that airflow is not hindered by freight sitting on the floor. Therefore, some loading equipment with smaller wheels may be ineffective as those wheels could get caught in those grooves. These grooves are generally less than two inches (approximately five cm) wide.

The cost of refrigerated trucking is often higher than traditional trucking, but this is mainly because of the special equipment and added expense associated with the maintenance and upkeep of that equipment. Further, fewer refrigeration units are available at any given time, and less supply mean higher prices.”

As a conclusion, refrigerated trucks are really essential on the cold chain industry.  It is the best way to transport goods that maintains the freshness of the product from harvest to fork.

Coolaire Consolidated, Inc. is the Philippines’ top supplier of refrigerated truck bodies, truck cooling system and refrigerated containers.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

That honey is the only food that does not spoil.  Archaeologists found honeys in the tomb of ancient Egyptian Pharaoh King Tut has been tested and found edible. 

The reason is that honey has sufficient high sugar content, and sugar does not spoil.  Another reason is because of osmosis.  Being honey a concentrated sugar solution, any bacteria coming in contact with it will have it water sucked out by osmosis. 

SOURCE: http://onemansblog.com/2007/01/05/trivia-forty-four-fantastic-food-facts/

http://www.sciensational.com/blog/2007/10/100-pure-honey-facts.html

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101122111321AAuy1sB

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The Cold Supply Chain and Its Flow

The cold supply chain can be described as a non-interrupted flow of storage and distribution activities which maintains a given temperature range of perishable goods.  It is used to help extend and ensure the shelf life of products such as blood, confectionaries, fresh agricultural produce, seafood, frozen foods, photographic films, chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs. 

It is the unbroken chain that maintains the freshness of the products from the farm or the production zone to the consumers.  This process requires refrigeration equipments like truck refrigerated system, refrigerators, cold storage and reefers. 

According to Wikipedia, “cold chains are common in the food and pharmaceutical industries and also some chemical shipments. One common temperature range for a cold chain in pharmaceutical industries is 2 to 8 °C. But the specific temperature (and time at temperature) tolerances depend on the actual product being shipped.

This is important in the supply of vaccines to distant clinics in hot climates served by poorly developed transport networks. Disruption of a cold chain due to war may produce consequences similar to the smallpox outbreaks in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War.

Traditionally all historical stability data developed for vaccines were based on the temperature range of 2–8 °C. With recent development of biological products by former vaccine developers, biologics has fallen into the same category of storage at 2–8 °C due to the nature of the products and the lack of testing these products at wider storage conditions.

The cold chain distribution process is an extension of the good manufacturing practice (GMP) environment that all drugs and biological products are required to adhere to, enforced by the various health regulatory bodies. As such, the distribution process must be validated to ensure that there is no negative impact to the safety, efficacy or quality of the drug substance. The GMP environment requires that all processes that might impact the safety, efficacy or quality of the drug substance must be validated, including storage and distribution of the drug substance.”

Now, let’s explain the flow of the cold supply chain.  We are going to use meat as our product to explain the flow of the cold supply chain.

The flow of the cold supply chain is from the production zone, to processing zone to distribution zone, this includes the supermarkets and wholesalers. Next is to the retailers and last is to consumers.

Production Zone

On the production farms, meats are being slaughtered.  From there, they store the meat into a cold storage before their deliver it the processing zone.  They use refrigerated trucks to deliver the meats.  This could maintain the temperature and the freshness of the product. 

Processing Zone

On the processing zone, meats are being cuts, processed and packaged.  They use refrigerated container and cold storage to maintain the meats temperature and freshness.  They will also use trucks powered by a refrigeration system to deliver the processed meats to supermarkets and wholesalers.

Distribution Zone

On the supermarkets and wholesalers, they use refrigerated display cases and cold storage to display and store the meats.

Retailers and Consumers

They are also using refrigerated display cases and cold storage to display and store the meats.  The consumers buy the meats from retailers or from the supermarkets. 

The whole cold supply chain process requires the refrigerated truck, refrigerated container or reefer, cold storage, refrigerators, and refrigerated display cases in order to maintain the freshness of the products from the harvest to fork.

Coolaire Consolidated, Inc. is your partner in refrigeration such as truck refrigeration system refrigerated truck body, reefers and air conditioning units.

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