How to Choose a Food Logistics Company

 

Introduction

For a maker, distributor, or retailer of food, managing distribution means managing the cold chain, regulatory compliance, food safety, and other particular logistical issues in addition to distributing orders accurately and on time. These worries are much more pressing if you outsource any aspect of your business to outside food logistics firms because you must closely watch these operations. Any company can claim to be an expert in food logistics, but how can you tell if they really are? What should you look for the Best Logistic Company in India?

Here are 7 Ideas to Think About.

1. Look for Verifiable Proof of Excellent Sanitation.

When it comes to food safety and sanitation, the majority of food logistics businesses can play a nice game, but it's important to look for third-party confirmation of high standards for cleanliness and performance. The most well-known external auditor of DCs for food-grade is AIB International. The company grades facilities according to AIB standards on a 1,000-point scale, with a score of 700 or higher considered to be a passing grade. A "superior" rating is given to facilities that rank among the top quartile of all inspected facilities.

2. Verify that the Distribution Center's Temperature is being Monitored Effectively.

This is frequently essential to maintaining the caliber of your goods up until the point of sale. What you can do:

• Visit the DC to verify that the necessary temperature monitoring equipment is installed.

• Check to see if the dock area and staging sections have temperature monitoring systems.  

• If temperature and humidity logs can be checked remotely, inquire about that.

• Ask if you can get an automatic alert if a zone goes out of specification.

• Pallets frequently sit for a long time before being loaded into a trailer.

3. Ensure Stock Rotation is Managed by Mechanisms that are Adequate.

To reduce the need to discard or significantly discount products that are getting close to their "use by" dates, food firms must enhance shelf life. FIFO, LIFO, FEFO, and other stock rotation procedures must be managed by an advanced warehouse management system (WMS) for the food shipping firms you use to accomplish so. You should confirm that their systems are capable of:

• Manage inventory using the techniques you like.

• Describe how long each product's shelf life is expected to last in the warehouse.

• Tracking lot number-based expiration dates

4. Find Companies that Offer Integrated Cold Chain Management.

As products are transported from the origin to the port to the warehouse to the final consignee, you might engage with many logistics suppliers. Due to the fact that a food supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link, this may make the compliance task more difficult. Think about partners who can provide closely integrated warehouse and transportation services, such as Kane Logistics. On the subject of transportation, ensure that your colleagues:

• can keep an eye on temperature changes while products are being transported along the entire length of the trailer.

• can offer written evidence that the appropriate temperature was preserved from pick-up to delivery.