Energy efficiency in cold supply chains of the food and beverage sector

Abstract

Food refrigeration during transport, and storage activities makes energy consumption in the supply chain particularly high, with relevant impacts on its sustainability. The growing push towards sustainability and product quality makes it necessary to have a continuous temperature control that allows to avoid food waste and temperature abuses with unmotivated high energy consumption. An efficient management of the cold chain guarantees product quality, customer satisfaction and, more generally, greater protection of public health, with direct impacts on the quantities of food and drinks wasted. In this perspective, energy efficiency not only encompasses benefits for the environment but also for food quality and for the final consumer. All aspects linked to the sustainable development goals, on which the attention of the UN and FAO is also focusing.Aim of the present study is to propose a quantitative approach to map the energy flows throughout the cold chain, while considering the time-temperature relationship of products from farm-to-fork. This approach can support decision makers inside cold chains in the identification of energy efficient best practices which allow to reduce the environmental impact both reducing the energy consumption and the quality losses. Results of the energy flow mapping also allow companies in the cold chains and cold logistic operators to prioritize these energy efficiency measures (i.e., starting from the stage with the highest energy consumptions or quality losses) and subsequent what-if analyses assess the potential energy savings for the whole cold chain. The holistic perspective can support the overcoming reservations to the uptake of new technologies, maintenance policies and sustainable operation management practices.