Cold storage items are sensitive products that must be stored in a specific temperature range to maintain quality, integrity and shelf life. Freezing inhibits physical and chemical changes that lead to biological decay, preserving the product’s purity. Various industries and sectors rely on cold storage warehousing to protect their items during storage and distribution.
Cold chain logistics and transportation are seeing exceptional growth. Innovative technologies have enabled organizations to prolong the life span of perishable products, helping keep items fresh for longer.
Why Cold Storage Facilities Are Important
Cold storage facilities are essential in helping organizations deliver quality products to customers and, eventually, the end consumers. Investing in cold storage facilities is critical due to high demand for frozen items.
Items Stored in Cold Storage
Several items typically require cold storage to maintain freshness and quality.
Frozen Cold Storage
Items that you should store in frozen cold storage warehouses include:
- Frozen meat and poultry: Meat such as beef, pork and chicken must be frozen to preserve flavor and prevent bacterial growth.
- Frozen vegetables and fruit: Specific produce can be frozen to extend their shelf life and retain nutritional value —spinach, corn, peas and berries freeze well.
- Frozen dairy products: Dairy items like cheese, milk, butter, yogurt and ice cream can be stored in cold storage to prevent spoilage and maintain consistency.
- Frozen precooked meals: Frozen meals offer convenience for consumers purchasing items like pizzas, precooked meals and desserts.
- Frozen baked goods: Manufacturers of bread, pastries and cakes use frozen cold storage to ensure freshness and prevent mold growth.
Unexpected Cold Storage Products
Cold storage is not only used in keeping food items fresh. Any product that will degrade from temperature fluctuations requires temperature-controlled warehousing. Some unexpected items include:
- Artwork and books, like historical documents and paintings
- Cosmetics, like lipsticks and cologne
- Chemicals like disinfectants and reagents
- Candles and craft goods
- Film and canisters
- Botanicals, like seeds, plants and flowers
- Organic textiles, like wool, hides and fur
- Nutritional supplements and bio-pharmaceuticals
Industries That Use Cold Storage
Multiple industries rely on trusted cold storage solutions providers to ensure their customers receive quality items:
- Restaurants and food outlets
- Frozen food producers
- Supermarkets and food service firms
- Importers and exporters
- Pharmaceutical manufacturers and health care institutions
- Agricultural producers
Benefits of Cold Storage
Quality cold storage keeps products within a safe temperature zone to prevent bacteria growth. Cold storage facilities allow businesses to transport and store their sensitive items safely and quickly. Benefits of cold storage include:
- Temperature control: Cold storage has temperature controls to keep items frozen at the desired temperature.
- Extended shelf life: The controlled environment provides maximum protection, preservation and maintenance of the quality, texture and taste of food items.
- Cost-effective storage: Bulk cold storage is cost-effective. In addition, organizations save a tremendous amount of money by preventing food waste.
- Space efficiency: Cold storage enables organizations to save sensitive items off-site. By storing products at specialized warehouses, on-site fridges and storage areas are freed up. The more space, the more a business can scale operations.
Choosing the Right Cold Storage Warehouse
The ultimate goal of cold storage is to enable the movement of items to end-users while ensuring the highest possible quality. There are thousands of cold storage warehouses across the U.S., so selecting the right facility and company to partner with is critical to your business’s success. Consider these questions when deciding who to work with:
- Does the company have a robust warehouse management system?
- Is the warehouse certified?
- Do the warehouses have reliable frozen temperature-controlled storage?
- Are the warehouses centrally located?
- Does the company offer 24/7 emergency shipment and appointment scheduling?
- Are there client testimonials that vouch for the warehouse storage and services?
Contact Us for Trusted Frozen Cold Storage Warehousing and Logistics
Your cold storage products are sensitive and need careful attention, handling and storage to prevent them from getting damaged or spoiling.
Flagship Logistics Group has over three decades of experience helping organizations with organic-certified and food-grade cold and dry storage solutions. We also provide flexible and professional, asset-based, third-party logistics (3PL) solutions.
We are committed to delivering responsive, friendly, flexible and trusted service. Our service excellence, expertise and frozen warehousing capabilities make us the go-to partner for many organizations in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Contact us online to optimize your cold storage warehousing and logistics.