Transporting food products is subject to certain rules and legal regulations. All this to meet rigorous standards and so that food is safe for human health. How to store it? What rules should be remembered? How to safe transport food? About this in our article!
Storing food in a warehouse – what should be remembered?
Storing food in a warehouse is subject to many legal regulations and Sanitary Inspectorate requirements. The Sanitary Inspectorate specifies in detail what conditions a warehouse must meet so that safe food storage is possible, and the quality of this type of products is maintained.
One of the duties of the Sanitary Inspectorate is controlling every vehicle that transports food. Therefore, a car that transports food acts is subject to such control and the Sanitary Inspectorate must approve it. Each vehicle serving for transporting food must therefore be properly prepared for transporting goods and ensure proper temperature for them so that they do not lose their properties during transport.
Law vs food transport conditions, i.e. what is worth remembering during food transport?
One of the conditions of the Sanitary Inspectorate is that the warehouse has a specially separated space prepared exclusively for food storage. In legal terms, proper food storage in warehouses is regulated by the Act on Food Safety and Nutrition of August 25, 2016.
Precise food storage procedures were also established by the European Parliament. Control over food is exercised by the District Sanitary Inspectorate, which by means of special certificates makes decisions about goods transport. Food transport usually takes place using refrigerated vehicles, i.e. ones that have ensured good insulation properties from inside and cool goods using e.g. a compressor unit, thanks to which products for the time of transport are stored at a temperature of even up to -20°C. If food products are transported in a car with a cold store, it is worth remembering that it should be equipped with a special monitoring system, which also supervises the temperature of goods. This is necessary for the cold chain to be properly maintained and for goods not to lose quality.
Safe food transport, i.e. how to transport products?
Are you wondering how to carry out successful and safe food transport? First of all, not only the method of securing products is of great importance, but also what they are transported in and how. What document specifies the rules of goods transport? It is the ATP agreement, which very precisely specifies conditions that vehicles must meet to safely transport food, among others they must have appropriate thermal insulation parameters and devices cooling food products.
Moreover, vehicles meeting appropriate refrigeration conditions are required for food transport. Some types of products require transport in so-called “ice houses”, i.e. refrigerated vehicles that have specially insulated walls and roof, and the cooling system is e.g. liquefied gas to maintain proper temperature. These can be isothermal vehicles, which are not equipped with their own cooling system, but have appropriate insulation from inside to ensure the interior proper temperature for transported goods.
Every company transporting food should have appropriate certificates, among others ISO 22000 certificate. It is also worth remembering about necessary certificates, which confirm preparation of products for transport and the fact that they meet high standards of safe transport. Food transport must proceed in accordance with legal requirements and be realized by vehicles with high load capacity, which meet conditions of safe transport. According to Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, vehicles transporting food must be characterized by very good technical condition and be kept in proper cleanliness. A carrier who transports food goods with a delivery van or a car with a cold store must submit an application to the Sanitary Inspectorate along with information about the car brand and registration number as well as a copy of the registration certificate. Every driver who transports food must have a valid sanitary booklet, and if they transport meat or other products of animal origin – should also register in the Main Veterinary Inspectorate.
Modern warehouse for food products, i.e. what should be remembered when choosing a warehouse?
Food constitutes one of the most difficult products in storage. An appropriate warehouse for storing this type of products must meet quality standards, have appropriate air humidity, and at the same time ensure proper temperature for products. Often clients also want to have the possibility of remote controlling dates of freshness and validity of products. The solution is a modern WMS system, which we apply in our warehouses. It enables regular control of goods availability, remote reading of product freshness dates and analyzing inventory levels on an ongoing basis. For our clients, this is a very convenient system, which makes them save time and they can easier perform duties related to organization and control of goods.
Are you looking for a modern warehouse that enables remote controlling of food goods and meets the highest storage standards? Check our product storage offer. Due to the fact that we use modern IT tools and the mentioned system, we recommend large warehouse areas adapted to storing food to new clients.
Food transport only in a modern warehouse!
Proper food transporting involves observing legal regulations and maintaining special safety. Depending on the type of transported products, additional conditions must also be met like e.g. food transport in a specific temperature recommended by the manufacturer.