Inefficiency in land-side cold-chain logistics: Solutions to improve the handling of citrus during preparation for cold-treatment protocols

This article aims to address the question of how current citrus handling can be improved to ensure fewer occurrences of non-conformances. Citrus fruit contributes 60% of fruit export volumes in South Africa, with revenue of approximately R20 billion per annum. The high export volumes translate to difficulties such as road transport and cold-storage congestion, reefer container shortages and port delays. The increase in the export volumes also highlights inefficiencies, such as temperature variability, that occur due to delays during logistical cold-store processes. Cold stores are responsible for cold-treatment preparation processes such as forced-air cooling and the loading of fruit at protocol temperature. This study assessed the crucial stages to maintain the required temperature protocols during land-side processes by studying various controlled shipments. The results show that temperature variability occurs during pre-cooling and container loading, which might have an effect on fruit quality. Once the cold-treatment process commences, the step-down approach is applied and temperature is well maintained. The study linked the identified inefficiencies in land-side cold-chain logistics to temperature protocol failures along the cold chain. It also identified the factors that affect temperature variability in cold stores. The study's recommendations can be used to inform the regulatory body's policy, which is responsible for the exportation of fruit in South Africa. Specifically the recommendation pertaining to an increase in the number of hours that citrus pallets are cooled prior to shipment. This will aid with reducing temperature variability and ensure successful cold treatment shipments.