Distribution Temperature Regulation in the Home Delivery Cold Chain Using Quality and Risk Assessment

Introduction: Temperature management in the cold chains has, recently, receive attention. In Taiwan, an increasing need for chilled and frozen food home delivery services has been observed because of growing demand for chilled and frozen food by consumers. However, the weather in Taiwan can reach 37°C in summer. Incorrect temperature settings or lack of temperature control in handling areas are some of reasons behind broken cold chains. Recently, the government began considering 15°C settings in handling areas. However, this decision cannot be made without information about the average risks for consumers.

Purpose:  This study aimed to evaluate temperature requirements in home delivery, chilled and frozen food chains, by considering food safety risks to chilled foods and quality impacts to frozen foods.

Methods:   Temperature data in home delivery cold chains were collected using data loggers. Food safety risk assessments of Bacillus cereus in ready-to-eat rice balls and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in raw oysters were conducted. Risk data on the prevalence and concentration were collected from scientific literature. A Monte Carlo simulation model was created using @risk. To assess and describe quality changes in frozen white shrimp, a kinetic model using Arrhenius relations was employed.

Results:   Preliminary results showed that there were serious temperature abuses in the distribution process of home delivery cold chains. In chilled foods, the average temperature in the loading/unloading area was 21.0°C and in transportation the average was 18.8°C. The estimated average risks per serving of ready-to-eat rice balls and raw oysters were 0.5×10^-4, 2.22×10^-5, respectively. Both risk and quality assessment indicated that the most influential interventions were handling temperature and storage temperatures in home delivery cold chains.

Significance:   These findings could help food authorities determine temperature management policies to prevent broken cold chains and to reduce food safety risks.