A taxonomy framework to manage perishable products in cold chains

The interactions between perishable products and the environmental conditions experienced along the entire products’ life cycle determine the quality perceived at the point of consumption. Proper storage and distribution conditions are necessary to control this relation in order to avoid food losses and disruption in the value perceived by the customers. The adoption of refrigeration and the design of cold chains significantly reduce food losses and maintain the expected shelf life of perishable products. Although, to meet economic and environmental sustainability targets in the food supply chain management, an intensive use of refrigeration systems should be discouraged. The knowledge on products’ characteristics (i.e. optimal temperature and humidity, shelf life, heat of respiration) and predictions about environmental conditions experienced, along with proper packaging solutions, could prevent the use of refrigeration without compromising the quality of products. This paper proposes a taxonomy framework for the assessment and classification of the characteristics of different food perishable product and related supply chains. This framework aims at suggesting strategies to manage perishable products according to their optimal conservation conditions, the geography of the production phase, and the climate stresses experienced along the distribution chains. By using geo-referenced data, product-dependent patterns are provided to support researchers and practitioners in identifying those supply chains that are particularly affected by the environmental conditions. Based on this taxonomy, the proper strategies for optimizing the observed cold chain are highlighted. This conceptual framework highlights the need of advanced approaches including environmental conditions in the model formulation to deliver high-quality products avoiding intensive use of refrigeration.