What we have written on the cold chain51 / 154

A foam box does not cool meat, it holds its temperature. Risk starts when the meat was not at the regulatory limit at loading, when the primary pack leaks, or when the box is cracked or dirty.

Türkiye averaged 15.1 °C in 2025, 1.2 °C above normal. In the cold chain the load comes from the hot days, not from the average.

Set the second check by shipment risk and site procedure; make clear who verifies what and records it.

Compare options with the same packs and route; record leakage, cleaning access, load and empty return.

Do not infer waiting times from an aggregate list; confirm space by product, week and dock at the receiving site.

The three looks before the lid closes, each with its standard, and the gap calculation for a TBX 725.

Do not assume contact is suitable; check the product pack, gel-pack instructions and validated packing configuration.

In GCCA's 2026 list the top 25 operators run 219.7 million m³ of temperature-controlled space. Growth slowed to 6.3%, below the 8.3% of 2025.

Before loading, check residue, moisture, shelves, labels and plate identity; pause and escalate any discrepancy.

When cold chocolate sits below the dew point of the surrounding air, moisture condenses on it. Because water dissolves sugar, the result is more than wetness: white sugar bloom.

Confirm in writing which packaging, transport or energy data is requested, for whom and for what period.

A plate with a worn label stays out of the container until its identity is confirmed. On GEBHARDT plates the cap colour and the embossing on the shell still show the melting point without the label.