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Cold Storage

Cold storage is vital to the food supply chain, but temperature-controlled warehouses come with their own challenges. These posts offer tips and solutions for material handling in the cold.

Topics

  • Managing Forklift Batteries in Food Production Facilities

    If you use forklifts in a food production capacity, odds are those trucks are electric. Electric lift trucks run cleaner and don’t release emissions, making them ideal for the super-clean, hazard-sensitive nature of a food production facility. Of course, while electric forklifts won’t leak oil or leave a layer of soot on the machinery, forklift batteries do sometimes leak. Electrolyte... Continue Reading

  • How BHS Products Comply with the FDA Standards for Food Production

    The FDA Food Code provides recommendations to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments on food-safety standards. While it is up to individual governments whether to write the Food Code recommendations into local law, the Food Code does represent a unifying authority on safety in food production, handling, transportation, and service. So when you’re designing material handling equipment for the food... Continue Reading

  • Watering Forklift Batteries in Fast Charge Applications

    Watering forklift batteries is fairly simple when you operate a well-run battery room. When chargers are distributed throughout a facility, however — as in many fast charge applications —  things get a little more complicated. First off, battery fleet management systems in traditional battery rooms ensure that all batteries remain on an adequate watering and maintenance schedule. These systems are... Continue Reading

  • The IFDA Distribution Solutions Conference 2019: What to Expect

    The 2019 International Foodservice Distributors Association’s (IFDA) Distribution Solutions Conference takes place October 27 through 29, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. So what do they have in store for the industry this year? First off, it’s important to understand the significance of the IFDA Distribution Solutions Conference within the industry. This is the major annual meeting for distributors who work within the foodservice space. Food warehouses, cold chain transportation, and supply chain specialists gather at the IFDA Distribution Solutions Conference every year to navigate the latest issues and discoveries in the field of foodservice distribution. In other words, this event offers unparalleled networking within this fairly niche industry. In addition to the professional relationships that emerge... Continue Reading

  • Managing Industrial Batteries in Cold Storage Applications

    While electric forklifts are ideal for cold storage facilities, low temperatures aren’t great for battery performance. The battery that provides a full eight hours of power in ambient temperatures might give out after just half that time in below-zero temperatures. The additional charge cycles wear on batteries and cut down on overall performance life. Users can address and minimize these... Continue Reading

  • Maintaining the Cold Chain: The Role of the Distributor

    Food safety depends on maintaining the cold chain at every step, from producer to processor to foodservice operation to, eventually, the diner’s plate. In the United States, a handful of federal agencies regulate all the industries involved in taking food from farm to fork. These include the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and even... Continue Reading

  • USDA FSIS Regulations and Forklifts in Food-Handling Applications

    Within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is tasked with keeping unsafe food products — particularly meat, poultry, and eggs — out of the U.S. food supply chain. The FSIS carries the weight of law and conducts inspections of food-handling and processing operations to make sure they’re not at risk of spreading foodborne illness.... Continue Reading

  • Food Industry Conference Season: What to Attend and What to Do There

    The food industry conference season kicks off in July with a whirlwind of events. Due to limited time and budgets, potential attendees may have to pick and choose which conferences to attend and which to skip. To help you decide, we’ve provided a quick rundown of three major conferences in July. Here’s the who, where, and what-to-do of our favorite... Continue Reading

  • Cold Storage Forklift Battery Maintenance

    Cold storage is hard on lift truck batteries. Poor inventory management and maintenance is even worse. The combination of an extreme environment and shortcuts in battery handling practices can cause major reductions in battery capacity and lifespan. That’s why it’s important to use best practices for forklift batteries in cold storage applications. Here’s what you need to know to keep... Continue Reading

  • Electric Forklifts in Cold Storage: Solutions to Common Challenges

    Cold storage facilities are the backbone of the supply chain for crucial products, including frozen and refrigerated foods, pharmaceuticals, and petrochemicals. Unfortunately, the extreme temperatures needed to preserve perishables can reduce efficiency in electric forklifts — or even damage them outright. Thankfully, there are a number of mitigating strategies that can improve forklift performance in cold storage applications. For instance:... Continue Reading

  • Switching from Liquid Propane to Electric Forklifts in the Produce Industry

    In the mid-1990s, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) noticed an alarming trend. The state is the country’s largest provider of 11 types of produce, including apples, Concord grapes, and pears. In fruit-packing warehouses across the state, workers were being exposed to dangerous — and sometimes even poisonous — levels of carbon monoxide on the job. A... Continue Reading

  • What Type of Forklift is Right for Your Warehouse?

    When it’s time to build a forklift fleet, start by choosing the right power source. The choice between electric and internal-combustion (IC) trucks is not just an issue of expense. It’s also crucial to running a safe business. That’s because internal combustion engines — whether they’re powered by diesel or by propane — emit carbon monoxide. This dangerous gas can... Continue Reading

  • Forklift Battery Handling Equipment for Smaller Fleets

    Not every forklift user operates a vast fleet of hundreds. In fact, most don’t. A 2010 survey by industry journal DC Velocity found that the bulk of their respondents (57 percent) operated fewer than 25 lift trucks. Only 12 percent regularly used more than 100 trucks. The same survey uncovered another key statistic: almost 90 percent of the respondents said... Continue Reading

  • Avoiding Forklift Collision Damage in Cold Storage Warehouses

    According to the industry journal Frozen Food Age, forklift collisions are more frequent in cold storage warehouses than in traditional facilities — partially due to the unique challenges of operating in colder environments, but also due to unique issues that tend to accompany warehouse design and layout in these operations. As forklift accidents can damage equipment or infrastructure, cold storage... Continue Reading

  • Promote Staff Retention in Cold Storage Facilities with Better Equipment and Practices

    For managers of cold storage warehouses, employee retention is nothing short of essential — it’s a crucial factor in developing a leaner, more efficient operation. Unfortunately, lift truck operators in cold storage facilities leave for other positions more frequently than equivalent job holders in conventional warehouses. The turnover rate for material handling positions in the refrigerated storage industry has soared... Continue Reading

  • Choosing Better Lift Truck Battery Management Practices for Cold Storage Warehouses

    For cold storage facilities, accurate planning is critical. A difference of a few degrees can mean significant product losses, and a few inches of unused vertical space can translate to substantial operating inefficiencies. This is why most cold storage operations perform extensive calculations when choosing material handling equipment and infrastructure — a properly outfitted facility needs to maximize vertical space,... Continue Reading