Cold Chain & Reefer Logistics

Six links

Where a cold chain breaks

A break at any one of these six points ruins the lot. Most suppliers talk about the reefer container, because that is the part they control most visibly. The other five are where the losses actually happen.

#	Link	Target	Failure mode we guard against	Record
1	Harvest → freezing	Under 24 h Soft fruit: under 12 h	Field heat loading — berries picked at 30°C in afternoon heat lose quality before they ever reach a freezer	Harvest-to-freeze log, in hours
2	Tunnel IQF	−35°C	Block freezing. A frozen slab cannot be dosed cleanly and thaws unevenly on a production line	Temperature curve per batch
3	Cold store	−18°C to −20°C	Defrost cycles or door-open time causing product temperature creep	Daily temperature log
4	Pre-cooling	Container at −18°C before loading starts	Loading warm product into a warm container. Even a "reefer" only holds temperature, it does not pull it down	Container pre-cool log
5	Sea transit	−18°C throughout	Set point drift, port dwell in heat, plug disconnection in transit	Data logger — shipped with container
6	Arrival & unloading	Agreed deviation protocol	Container standing open at the wharf, delay between discharge and cold store	Logger file + unloading confirmation

The single most common failure is link 4 A reefer container holds temperature. It does not pull temperature down. Loading product at 0°C into a container sitting at ambient means that product spends 24 hours slowly warming, not freezing. This is why our pre-cool log exists and why we will delay loading if the container is not at set point.

Deviation protocol

What happens if temperature deviates

Agreed in writing before the first shipment. This is the clause that prevents a dispute at the port from becoming a dispute about who is right.

Deviation	Duration	Assessment	Action
Product temp above −18°C	< 2 hours	Within acceptable tolerance	Record and continue. No action required.
Product temp above −15°C	< 2 hours	Borderline — cumulative across the journey must be assessed	Flagged in logger report. Buyer decides on acceptance.
Product temp above −15°C	> 2 hours	Quarantine trigger — this is the standard threshold in destination regulations	Shipment held. Joint assessment. Buyer not left to discover this alone.
Product temp above −10°C	Any duration	Product considered compromised for IQF grade claim	Rejected or credited in full, at buyer's option
Logger failure or missing file	—	Cannot evidence chain integrity	Treated as deviation. We cover the assessment cost.

The last row is the one most suppliers omit If the logger fails, the chain cannot be evidenced — and that is a problem we created, not one you should pay for. We cover it. Including this clause in the contract costs us nothing when we have run the process correctly.

Shipping

Equipment, loading and lanes

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Reefer container

Pre-cooled to −18°C before loading. Set point −18°C, continuous operation from door closure. Plug-in and stand-by arrangements confirmed at loading, not assumed.

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Temperature data logger

Single-use or multi-use logger with hourly recording, calibrated and certificate-calibrated. The file is handed over with your shipping documents — you do not have to request it.

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Stacking & airflow

Pallets arranged to allow airflow channels; load height respected so the cold air path is not blocked. Freezer burn typically starts as a packaging problem, not a temperature one.

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Drayage coordination

Port drayage, customs broker and cold store at destination coordinated with you in advance so the container moves to cold storage without a dwell at the wharf.

Lane transit times and equipment

Destination	Mode	Transit	Equipment	Note
Malaysia — Port Klang	Sea	18-24 days	20ft / 40ft reefer	Established lane; China already largest supplier origin
Thailand — Laem Chabang	Sea	16-22 days	20ft / 40ft reefer	Strong beverage channel on destination side
Indonesia — Jakarta / Surabaya	Sea	20-28 days	20ft / 40ft reefer	Highest price market in our range
UAE — Jebel Ali	Sea	22-30 days	20ft / 40ft reefer	Re-export hub — a good entry point for the wider Gulf
Saudi Arabia — Jeddah	Sea	24-32 days	20ft / 40ft reefer	SFDA registration needed on your side
Kazakhstan / Uzbekistan	Rail	14-20 days	Reefer rail container	No Halal gate; rail removes a transhipment layer

Container loading — plan it early Reefer allocation at origin is seasonal and bookable only 3-4 weeks ahead in peak periods. Missing a vessel window typically costs 7-10 days. Tell us your required delivery date and we will secure equipment against it before you commit to purchase.

Verification

How to check we are telling the truth

We would rather you verify than trust. Three ways to do it.

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1. Read the logger file

It plots temperature against time for the entire journey. A clean line flat at −18°C is what a reefer container should look like. Ask a colleague to look at it with you — a dishonest record is hard to fake in that format.

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2. Test a sample

We supply samples before you contract. Run them on your own process — thaw behaviour, colour retention, drip loss, flavour after thawing. This catches more problems than any certificate.

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3. Ask for references

We will provide references in your destination market. Ask them the question that matters: did the cold chain ever break, and how was it handled? The answer tells you more than any scorecard.

A supplier who is comfortable with these three checks is one you can build a business with. If a supplier resists any of them, that is your answer.