As we navigate a constantly evolving scenario in the logistics and storage of refrigerated food in Latin America, we are faced with a series of trends and transformations for the cold chain in 2025.
In this post, we will address the main trends for the year, discussing topics such as sustainability, the use of artificial intelligence, green logistics in the cold chain, tackling climate change, reducing food loss and waste, built-to-suit solutions, and resilience in the food supply chain.
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What is the cold chain?
Cold chain refers to the robust set of specialized logistics processes aimed at preserving the quality and safety of temperature-sensitive products throughout the supply chain.
This covers everything from production to the end consumer, including storage, handling and transportation of products.
How important is the cold chain in the food industry?
Maintaining an efficient cold chain is not just a matter of compliance with regulatory requirements; it’s a way of protecting the brand’s reputation and guaranteeing customer satisfaction.
Poorly stored food or food transported in less than ideal conditions can be contaminated or spoiled, resulting in financial losses and irreparable damage to consumer confidence.
In a highly competitive market, where consumer choice is vast, product quality and safety become a strategic differentiator that can determine a company’s success.
What is cold chain logistics like?
Cold chain logistics involves the strict management and control of temperature in the transportation and storage of products that are sensitive to thermal variation, such as meat, fruit and vegetables.
Consisting of refrigerated equipment and specialized procedures, it guarantees food quality and safety.
From production to the point of sale or use, refrigerated warehouses containers, trucks and ensure the ideal environment, while real-time monitoring technology helps to maintain the right conditions.
All logistics are very important for preserving products and reducing the risk of loss.
How to ensure an efficient cold chain? Find out what care is needed at each stage
To guarantee an efficient cold chain, it is essential to pay continuous and specific attention to each stage of the process.
This involves the adoption of rigorous practices, the use of temperature monitoring technology (-18°C or less for frozen products) and proactive management of the risks involved.
The focus is on mitigating any thermal variation that could affect the quality and preservation of the products.
Also read: Find out how frozen food is transported and what precautions should be taken!
Operational excellence in this chain is achieved by harmonizing procedures and specialized training for the teams involved in each phase of the logistics cycle.
Loading and unloading
In the loading and unloading process, it is essential to keep the products within the appropriate temperature range at all times, avoiding exposure to the environment that could alter it.
The ideal is a refrigerated loading and unloading environment or the act of transporting products quickly to and from controlled environments.
In addition, the temperature of transport vehicles must be checked before loading and after unloading to ensure the continuity of the cold chain.
Storage
Temperature uniformity throughout the storage area is essential. Systems such as cold rooms and high-precision refrigerators must be kept fully operational, with periodic performance checks.
It is recommended to use ventilated shelves and not obstruct the cold air vents, as well as keeping a detailed temperature record for each batch stored.
Transportation
During transportation, vehicles must have effective thermal insulation and refrigeration systems suited to the type of product being transported.
The use of real-time monitoring devices and data loggers is essential to ensure that deviations are promptly identified and corrected.
Regular vehicle maintenance, including checking the insulation and performance of the cooling system, guarantees reliability during the journey.
Distribution and sales
At the distribution and sales stage, it must be ensured that the final points of sale are prepared to maintain the cold chain until the product reaches the consumer.
This includes appropriate refrigerators, cooled shelves at the point of sale and maintaining the integrity of the packaging until delivery.
Training employees to deal with handling and storage procedures is essential if the cold chain is to be maintained uninterrupted until final consumption.
Trends for the cold chain in 2025
We’ve already established the essential fundamentals that govern the cold chain, but it’s important to address the emerging trends that will be on the rise in 2025.
Sustainability at the heart of operations
Environmental sustainability is no longer optional: it’s a requirement.
Cold chain operations, naturally energy-intensive, are facing increasing pressure to adopt greener practices, reducing their carbon footprint while maintaining efficiency.
By 2025, trends include innovations in green logistics, energy management and resilience to climate change.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Embracing AI in supply chain management is a game changer, not merely a passing trend. It is revolutionizing how we handle operations, bringing levels of quality and consistency that were previously unattainable.
Artificial Intelligence provides essential predictive insights to optimize warehouse operations, especially in cold storage.
It’s not just about keeping things organized, it’s about smarter forecasting and better inventory control.
This technology helps us to understand and adapt to changing product profiles, ensuring that we get the most out of our warehouse space. This isn’t merely about stacking boxes, it’s about dynamic space optimization.
The impact of AI on productivity and precision is profound. We know that inaccuracies can lead to downtime, creating backlogs that nobody wants. AI helps us stay on course by reducing these costly errors.
There is also the issue of safety, a top priority in any warehousing operation.
Artificial Intelligence helps optimize facility layouts, creating more storage space and safer handling areas. This isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about ensuring the well-being of our employees and the safe handling of products.
Another important point is that this technology plays a crucial role in reducing direct and indirect labor costs.
Intelligent storage systems monitor performance indicators, providing data that can lead to process improvements. This is about adjusting our operations to achieve maximum efficiency.
Other benefits of AI in our sector include predictive maintenance, which helps us predict and avoid equipment failures, and improved safety measures.
All of these factors come together to create a smarter, more efficient and safer cold storage operation.
AI isn’t only a tool, it is the future of how we manage our supply chain and we are fully committed to making the most of its potential.
To summarize, advances in Artificial Intelligence and automation correspond to the following aspects for perishable food logistics:
- warehouse automation – robots optimize space, energy and manpower
- proactive maintenance – AI predicts equipment failures, minimizing shutdowns
- route optimization – traffic and weather analysis reduces delays and fuel costs
- real-time monitoring – IoT sensors ensure optimum conditions for perishable products.
Green logistics in the cold chain
The concept of green logistics is gaining momentum, with a focus on renewable energy sources and innovative facility design. Companies are using biofuels and electricity from clean sources to power refrigerated fleets.
At the plant level, the integration of solar and wind energy is on the rise, exemplifying the shift towards resource-efficient solutions.
At Emergent Cold LatAm, we are leading this sustainable transformation in Latin America. With all new facilities certified as EDGE Advanced and the world’s first EDGE Zero Carbon plant in Chile, we represent the transition to a greener cold chain.
Tackling climate change
Climate change presents operational and strategic challenges. Extreme weather events, such as floods in southern Brazil and the drought in the Panama Canal, highlight the urgent need for adaptive logistics systems.
Cold chain operators must invest in resilient infrastructure to mitigate these impacts.
The Move to -15ºC Initiative
The Move to -15ºC coalition promotes energy-efficient refrigeration technologies and sustainable practices.
Large corporations are coming together to align their operations with global sustainability objectives, showing the power of collaboration in overcoming environmental challenges.
Reducing food loss and waste
Every year, more than 1 billion tons of food are wasted, accounting for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Cold chain logistics plays a crucial role in preserving the quality of perishable products, reducing post-harvest losses and guaranteeing safe food for consumers.
Expansion of cold storage facilities
With high infrastructure and maintenance costs, companies are opting to outsource cold storage operations.
Built-to-suit (BTS) solutions customize facilities to meet operational needs, optimizing costs and increasing efficiency.
Supply chain resilience
Disruptions such as restrictions on the Panama Canal and a lack of refrigerated containers are forcing companies to rethink their strategies.
Maintaining strategic stocks has become essential to mitigate risks in a volatile global scenario.
Cold chain logistics: check out our solutions
What do you think about the trends? They make it clear that we are witnessing a period of significant transformation and growth.
The main trends we point out not only highlight the constantly evolving landscape of our industry, but also emphasize our commitment to innovation, efficiency and environmental responsibility.
The transformations we can expect for cold storage in the coming months and years reflect a dynamic and evolving industry.
At Emergent Cold LatAm, we remain at the forefront of these changes, adapting our strategies and operations to meet these new challenges and opportunities.
Our commitment to providing high-quality cold storage solutions is unwavering as we continue to navigate and shape the future of cold storage and logistics in Latin America.
In order to stay on top of cold chain trends, follow the news on our portal!
Conclusion
Cold chain logistics is at a crucial turning point. Trends such as sustainability, technological innovation and outsourcing are redefining the sector’s role in solving global challenges such as food waste and food safety.
Companies that lead this evolution not only drive growth, but also contribute to a more sustainable future. The cold chain is not just about transportation; it is an ally of sustainability, efficiency and global security.
The future belongs to those who innovate, collaborate and lead with purpose.
Contribution: Rafael Rocha – Commercial VP at Emergent Cold LatAm
