Manteniendo la cadena de frio: Estrategias efectivas para garantizar la frescura de las flores durante el cargue a los camiones, en la rampla de una empresa productora de flores.

Abstract

The cold chain is a crucial technique to guarantee the freshness and quality of the flowers throughout the transformation process, from the moment they are cut until they reach the final customer in the form of bouquets. It consists of maintaining the temperature of the flowers in an adequate range throughout the distribution and storage process. It is essential to maintain the cold chain during all stages of the flower transformation and marketing process, as this helps prevent the proliferation of bacteria and other pathogens that can damage the quality of the product. For example, the Botrytis fungus can cause deformation of the leaves and stem buds, as well as the death of the flower. One stage in which the cold chain can be compromised during the export of flowers is during the loading of the trucks on the ramps of the flower crops. At that time, the flower is transferred from the cold rooms to the loading area and then loaded onto trucks that have cooling systems to maintain the cold chain. It is important to take additional steps to ensure that the temperature is maintained appropriately during this process. In the farm that is used as a reference in this case study, it has been observed that the cold chain of the flowers are interrupted during the process of loading the trucks. This is because the loading area does not have the necessary infrastructure to protect the flowers from exposure to ambient temperatures and direct sunlight. As a result, loading must be done as quickly as possible, which can lead to improper handling of the boxes in which the flowers are packed and increase the mechanical abuse of the product, which compromises its quality and vase life. To maintain the cold chain during the flower loading process, it is essential to evaluate the different methodologies and techniques available and determine which is the most appropriate in each case. This includes considering the time that the boxes with flowers remain outside the cold room and the refrigerated truck, the number of people needed to load them, the temperature of the boxes when they leave the cold room and enter the truck, the temperature at which the refrigerating equipment of the truck must be adjusted to resume the cold chain, the necessary equipment to optimize the loading times and the most convenient hours of the day to carry out the loading. In addition, it is important to invest in the necessary infrastructure and equipment to guarantee the conservation of the cold chain during this process. This may include installing removable roofs or covers to provide shade during loading to maintain proper temperatures. It is also important to ensure that good handling practices are followed and that mistreatment of the flower during loading is avoided.