Transportation in Food Industry
1.0 Introduction
Transportation is the movement of people and goods from one location to another. Throughout history, the economic wealth and military power of a people or a nation have been closely tied to efficient methods of transportation. Transportation provides access to natural resources and promotes trade, allowing a nation to accumulate wealth and power. Transportation also allows the movement of equipment and food supplies so that a nation can have access to food all year round. Transportation is vital to a nation’s economy.
1.1 Food Transportation
No matter whether they are genetically modified, certified organic or grown using conventional farming methods, no matter if partially processed for use as food ingredients or canned, food commodities and products have a significant commonality: They require multiple steps in their transportation between point of origin and point of use. The transportation of foods and commodities involves every conceivable form of conveyance, including planes, boats, barges, railcars, tankers, trucks and even pack animals. Foods and food ingredients are shipped frozen, refrigerated and at ambient temperatures. They are shipped whole, by the bushel, in bunches, bundles, or in boxes, stretch-wrapped on pallets. Poly-lined barrels, buckets or baskets are frequently used to transport an assortment of powders, purees and pastes. Foodstuffs are shipped in open-bed gondolas, dry-box sea containers, and in the cargo holds of ocean-going freighters. Transportation systems and the routes they use have greatly influenced the availability of food. A typical series of food journeys or transportation might be as follows:
1. Raw ingredients are taken from their source to their place of primary processing. This might include washing and cutting.
2. The constituent elements of the end product (both ingredients and packaging) are brought to the manufacturing plant where they are processed and packed. This can involve a number of
Transportation is the movement of people and goods from one location to another. Throughout history, the economic wealth and military power of a people or a nation have been closely tied to efficient methods of transportation. Transportation provides access to natural resources and promotes trade, allowing a nation to accumulate wealth and power. Transportation also allows the movement of equipment and food supplies so that a nation can have access to food all year round. Transportation is vital to a nation’s economy.
1.1 Food Transportation
No matter whether they are genetically modified, certified organic or grown using conventional farming methods, no matter if partially processed for use as food ingredients or canned, food commodities and products have a significant commonality: They require multiple steps in their transportation between point of origin and point of use. The transportation of foods and commodities involves every conceivable form of conveyance, including planes, boats, barges, railcars, tankers, trucks and even pack animals. Foods and food ingredients are shipped frozen, refrigerated and at ambient temperatures. They are shipped whole, by the bushel, in bunches, bundles, or in boxes, stretch-wrapped on pallets. Poly-lined barrels, buckets or baskets are frequently used to transport an assortment of powders, purees and pastes. Foodstuffs are shipped in open-bed gondolas, dry-box sea containers, and in the cargo holds of ocean-going freighters. Transportation systems and the routes they use have greatly influenced the availability of food. A typical series of food journeys or transportation might be as follows:
1. Raw ingredients are taken from their source to their place of primary processing. This might include washing and cutting.
2. The constituent elements of the end product (both ingredients and packaging) are brought to the manufacturing plant where they are processed and packed. This can involve a number of
References: 1. Bendickson, N.J. 2007. Transporta¬tion and food distribution security. TransActions, NAOSH Week 2007 (Special Edition):15–17. 2. Bradley, P 3. Day, B. P. F. (2001). Active packaging - a fresh approach. J. Brand Technol. 1(1) 4. Engelhaupt, E 5. Heller, M., and G. Keoleian. 2000. Life cycle-based sustainability indicators for assessment of the U.S. food system [CSS00-04]. Ann Arbor: Center for Sustainable Systems, School of Natural Resources and Environment. 6. Iles, A. (2005). Learning in sustainable agriculture: Food miles and missing objects. Environmental Values, 14, 163-83 7. In the Driftway 8. Pirog, R., T. Van Pelt, K. Ensayan, and E. Cook. 2001. Food, fuel and freeways: An Iowa perspective on how far food travels, fuel usage, and greenhouse gas emissions . Ames: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. 11. Summers, L. (1992). Intelligent Packaging, Centre for Exploitation of Science and Food Research Association Group, Chipping Campden, UK. 12. Vermeiren, L., Devlieghere, F., Beest, M., N. de Kruijf, N. and Debevere, J. (1999). Developments in active packaging. Trends in food sci. and tech. 10, 77-86 13. Weber, C.L., and H.S 14. World Resources Institute. 2004. Greenhouse gas protocol, a corporate accounting and reporting standard. http://www.ghgprotocol.org/fi les/ghgp/public/ghg- protocol-revised.pdf . Accessed 20 August, 2012.