冷链物流外文文献.docx

冷链物流外文文献.docx

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冷链物流外文文献

附录A

TheColdChainanditsLogistics

Authors:

Dr.Jean-PaulRodriguezandDr.TheoNotteboom

1.Overview

WhileGlobalizationhasmadetherelativedistancebetweenregionsoftheworldmuchsmaller,thephysicalseparationofthesesameregionsisstillaveryimportantreality.Thegreaterthephysicalseparation,themorelikelyfreightcanbedamagedinoneofthecomplextransportoperationsinvolved.Somegoodscanbedamagedbyshockswhileotherscanbedamagedbyunduetemperaturevariations.Forarangeofgoodslabeledasperishables,particularlyfood,theirqualitydegradeswithtimesincetheymaintainchemicalreactionswhichratecanbemostlymitigatedwithlowertemperatures.Ittakestimeandcoordinationtoefficientlymoveashipmentandeverydelaycanhavenegativeconsequences,notablyifthiscargoisperishable.Toensurethatcargodoesnotbecomedamagedorcompromisedthroughoutthisprocess,businessesinthepharmaceutical,medicalandfoodindustriesareincreasinglyrelyingonthecoldchaintechnology.

Thecoldchainreferstothetransportationoftemperaturesensitiveproductsalongasupplychainthroughthermalandrefrigeratedpackagingmethodsandthelogisticalplanningtoprotecttheintegrityoftheseshipments.

SpecializationhasledmanycompaniestonotonlyrelyonmajorshippingserviceproviderssuchastheUnitedParcelService（UPS）andFEDEX,butalsomorefocusedindustryspecialiststhathavedevelopedanichelogisticalexpertisearoundtheshippingoftemperaturesensitiveproducts.Thepotentialtounderstandlocalrules,customsandenvironmentalconditionsaswellasanestimationofthelengthandtimeofadistributionroutemakethemanimportantfactoringlobaltrade.Asaresult,thelogisticsindustryisexperiencingagrowinglevelofspecializationandsegmentationofcoldchainshippinginseveralpotentialnichemarketswithinglobalcommoditychains.Wholenewsegmentsofthedistributionindustryhavebeenveryactiveintakingadvantageofthedualdevelopmentofthespatialextensionofsupplychainssupportedbyglobalizationandthesignificantvarietyofgoodsincirculation.Fromaneconomicdevelopmentperspective,thecoldchainenablesmanydevelopingcountriestotakepartintheglobalperishableproductsmarket.Fromageographicalperspective,thecoldchainhasthefollowingimpacts:

∙Global.Specializationofagriculturalfunctionspermittingthetransportoftemperaturesensitivefoodproductstodistantmarkets.Enablesthedistributionofvaccinesandotherpharmaceuticalorbiologicalproducts.

∙Regional.Cansupportthespecializationoffunctionsandeconomiesofscale,suchasspecializedlaboratories.

∙Local.Timelydistributiontothefinalconsumer,namelygrocerystoresandrestaurants.

2.EmergenceofColdChainLogistics

Whileglobalcommoditychainsarefairlymodernexpansionsinthetransportationindustry,therefrigeratedmovementoftemperaturesensitivegoodsisapracticethatdatesbackto1797whenBritishfishermenusednaturalicetopreservetheirfishstockpiles.Thisprocesswasalsoseeninthelate1800sforthemovementoffoodfromruralareastourbanconsumptionmarkets,namelydairyproducts.Coldstoragewasalsoakeycomponentoffoodtradebetweencolonialpowersandtheircolonies.Forexample,inthelate1870sandearly1880s,FrancewasstartingtoreceivelargeshipmentsoffrozenmeatandmuttoncarcassesfromSouthAmerica,whileGreatBritainimportedfrozenbeeffromAustraliaandporkandothermeatfromNewZealand.By1910,600,000tonsoffrozenmeatwasbeingbroughtintoGreatBritainalone.Thefirstreefershipforthebananatradewasintroducedin1903bytheUnitedFoodCompany.Thisenabledthebananatomovefromanexoticfruitthathadasmallmarketbecauseitarrivedinmarketstooripe,tooneoftheworld'smostconsumedfruit.

Thetemperaturecontrolledmovementofpharmaceuticalsandmedicalsuppliesisamuchmoremoderntransitoptionthantheshippingofrefrigeratedorfrozenfood.Sincethe1950s,logisticalthirdpartycompaniesbegantoemergeandinstitutenewmethodsforsuccessfullytransportingtheseglobalcommodities.Beforetheiremergence,coldchainprocessesweremostlymanagedinhousebythemanufacturer.IntheUnitedStates,FoodandDrugAdministrationrestrictionsandaccountabilitymeasuresoverthestabilityofthecoldchainincitedmanyofthesecompaniestorelyonspecialtycouriersratherthancompletelyoverhaulingtheirsupplychainfacilities.Aspecializedindustrywasthusborn.Thevalueofthecoldchaininthepreservationofexpensivevaccinesandmedicalsupplieswasonlybeginningtoberecognizedwhentheselogisticalprovidersstartedtoappear.Asawarenessbegantogrow,sodidtheneedforefficientmanagementofthecoldchain.

Therelianceonthecoldchaincontinuestogainimportance.Withinthepharmaceuticalindustryforinstance,thetesting,productionandmovementofdrugsreliesheavilyoncontrolledanduncompromisedtransferofshipments.Alargeportionofthepharmaceuticalproductsthatmovealongthecoldchainareintheexperimentordevelopmentalphase.Clinicalresearchandtrialsisamajorpartoftheindustrythatcostsmillionsofdollars,butonethatalsoexperiencesafailurerateofaround80%.AccordingtotheHealthcareDistributionManagementAssociation,ofthecloseto200billiondollarsinpharmaceuticaldistribution,about10%aredrugsthataretemperaturesensitive.Thismakesthecoldchainresponsiblefortransportinganear20billiondollarinvestment.Iftheseshipmentsshouldexperienceanyunanticipatedexposuretovarianttemperaturelevels,theyruntheriskofbecomingineffectiveorevenharmfultopatients.

Temperaturecontrolintheshipmentoffoodstuffsisacomponentoftheindustrythathascontinuedtoriseinnecessitywithinternationaltrade.Asagrowingnumberofcountriesfocustheirexporteconomyaroundfoodandproduceproduction,theneedtokeeptheseproductsfreshforextendedperiodsoftimehasgainedinimportance.Increasingincomelevelscreateachangeindietwithamongstothersagrowingappetiteforfreshfruitandhighervaluefoodstuffssuchasmeatandfish.Personswithhighersocioeconomicstatusandwithmoreeconomicmeansaremorelikelytoconsumevegetablesandfruit,particularlyfresh,notonlyinhigherquantitiesbutalsoingreatervariety.Consumerswithincreasingpurchasepowerhavebecomepreoccupiedwithhealthyeating,thereforeproducersandretailershaverespondedwithanarrayofexoticfreshfruitsoriginatingfromaroundtheworld.

AnymajorgrocerystorearoundtheworldislikelytocarrytangerinesfromSouthAfrica,applesfromNewZealand,bananasfromCostaRicaandasparagusfromMexico.Thus,acoldchainindustryhasemergedtoservicethesecommoditychains.In2002,anestimated1200billiondollars'worthoffoodwastransportedbyafleetof400,000refrigeratedcontainers（Reefers）.Alone,theUnitedStatesimportsabout30%ofitsfruitsandvegetablesand20%ofitsfoodexportscanbeconsideredperishables.Theuncompromisedqualityandsafetyofthisfoodisoftentakenforgranted,despitebeingthemainreasonbehindtheabilitytosellthefood.Thecoldchainservesthefunctionofkeepingfoodfreshforextendedperiodsandeliminatingdoubtsoverthequalityofthefoodproducts.Inallthesupplychainsitisconcernedwith,coldchainlogisticsfavorhigherlevelsofintegrationsincemaintainingtemperatureintegrityrequiresahigherlevelofcontrolofalltheprocessesinvolved.Itmayevenincitethirdpartylogisticsproviderstoacquireelementsofthesupplychainwheretimeandotherperformancefactorsarethemostimportant,evenfarming.Thismayinvolvetheacquisitionofproducefarms（e.g.oranges）toinsuresupplyreliability.

3.ProvidingTemperatureControlledEnvironments

Thesuccessofindustriesthatrelyonthecoldchaincomesdowntoknowinghowtoshipaproductwithtemperaturecontroladaptedtotheshippingcircumstances.Differentproductsrequiredifferenttemperaturelevelmaintenancetoensuretheirintegritythroughoutthetravelprocess.Forinstance,themostcommontemperaturestandardsare"banana"（13°C）,"chill"（2°C）,"frozen"（-18°C）and"deepfrozen"（-29°C）.Stayingwithinthistemperatureisvitaltotheintegrityofashipmentalongthesupplychainandforperishablesitenablestoinsureandoptimalshelflife.Anydivergencecanresultinirrevocableandexpensivedamage;aproductcansimplyloseanymarketorusefulvalue.

Beingabletoensurethatashipmentwillremainwithinatemperaturerangeforanextendedperiodoftimecomesdownlargelytothetypeofcontainerthatisusedandtherefrigerationmethod.Factorssuchasdurationoftransit,thesizeoftheshipmentandtheambientoroutsidetemperaturesexperiencedareimportantindecidingwhattypeofpackagingisrequired.Theycanrangefromsmallinsulatedboxesthatrequiredryiceorgelpacks,rollingcontainers,toa53footerreeferwhichhasitsownpoweredrefrigerationunit.Themajorcoldchaintechnologiesinvolve:

∙Dryice.Solidcarbondioxide,isabout-80°Candiscapableofkeepingashipmentfrozenforanextendedperiodoftime.Itisparticularlyusedfortheshippingofpharmaceuticals,dangerousgoodsandfoodstuffs.Dryicedoesnotmelt,insteaditsublimateswhenitcomesincontactwithair.

∙Gelpacks.Largesharesofpharmaceuticalandmedicinalshipmentsareclassifiedaschilledproducts,whichmeanstheymustbestoredinatemperaturerangebetween2and8°C.Thecommonmethodtoprovidethistemperatureistousegelpacks,orpackagesthatcontainphasechangingsubstancesthatcangofromsolidtoliq