Cold chain resources
Work towards better cold chain management with our free resources, guides and articles.
On this page are several free resources to help cold chain practitioners navigate the world of refrigerated transport and give professional advice on how to care for cold food, pharmaceuticals and horticulture.
Many of the articles and presentations reflect the work of the former Australian Food Cold Chain Council. Keep It Cool Consulting’s founder, Adam Wade was a foundation director of this Council, and when it closed, it transferred the ownership of its intellectual property to Keep It Cool Consulting, so that its work could be preserved and shared in a private consultancy capacity.
Process Discipline Resources
These articles and resources focus on training, compliance frameworks, temperature monitoring, and cultural or operational behaviours.
Want to fix your cold chain? Start by verifying, not guessing. Discover the fundamentals that reduce waste and drive compliance.
This article presents a comprehensive overview of how poor temperature control, insufficient verification processes, and lack of shared responsibility contribute to significant food waste in Australia’s cold chain. It emphasises the need for continuous temperature monitoring, proper implementation of HACCP-based verification and validation, and industry-wide adoption of smart technology to support cold chain compliance. and product quality.
Read More: Cold Chain Fundamentals Presentation
Tick these boxes if you're serious about compliant refrigerated transport.
This article outlines the essential requirements for ensuring refrigerated transport assets meet compliance standards, including ISO certification, temperature monitoring, secure locking, and digital journey records. It emphasises that true compliance goes beyond equipment, requiring coordinated processes across all transfer points to protect food quality, reduce waste, and uphold HACCP-aligned safety practices.
Read Article: The eight fundamentals of cold chain asset compliance
Cold chain success hinges on collaboration, not just competition.
This article highlights that collaboration, not just competition, is essential for cold chain compliance, particularly through the shared use of temperature data at handover points like docks and transfers. Technology alone won’t fix the cold chain - stakeholders must change culture, adopt quality systems like ISO 9001, and commit to transparency to reduce food waste and protect product quality.
Read Article: Competitors can be friends
Empowering frontline workers is key to stopping food waste before it starts.
Cold chain failures leading to food waste are often due to poor process execution and lack of training, not a lack of technology, especially at critical transfer points. It introduces a specialised thermometer training program designed to upskill frontline cold chain workers, aiming to reduce temperature abuse, improve compliance, and build a more reliable, waste-reducing logistics culture.
Read Article: Training to stop temperature abuse
Blame won’t fix a broken cold chain. Visibility and verification will.
This article addresses the blame culture in cold chain failures, stressing that without proper process implementation, continuous temperature monitoring, and adherence to HACCP principles, food quality and safety are compromised. It underscores the need for accountability, equipment certification, and journey-wide temperature verification to prevent costly product loss and improve compliance across the transport phase.
Read Article: When things go wrong, the finger pointing starts
Choosing the right thermometer can mean the difference between rejection and compliance.
This article explains the different thermometer technologies and highlights the critical factors (such as accuracy, response time, and suitability for food type and packaging) that influence correct temperature measurement in the cold chain. It emphasises that selecting the right thermometer and using it correctly, especially for core temperature readings, is essential to prevent product rejection, ensure compliance, and uphold food quality and safety.
Read Article: What is there to know about a thermometer?Equipment Integrity Resources
The following resources focus on thermal performance, airflow, refrigeration systems, and transport design.
Why perfect refrigeration means nothing if airflow is blocked.
This article explains how poor stacking, wrapping, or packaging practices can obstruct airflow inside refrigerated transport, disrupting convection and causing heat conduction that compromises product temperature. It highlights the critical role of proper load configuration in supporting refrigeration efficiency, compliance, and food quality while minimising waste and maintaining transport equipment effectiveness.
Read Article: Airflow can be tricky
One size doesn't fit all - here's what perishable goods really need in transit.
This article highlights how poor pallet packing, inadequate airflow, and insufficient insulation in transport and storage environments critically undermine refrigeration performance, leading to temperature breaches and significant food waste. It underscores the need for process discipline, equipment standards, and regulatory attention to airflow and insulation to maintain product quality and cold chain compliance.
Read Article: All cold food transport must be fit for purpose
Stacking mistakes that silently ruin cold chain performance.
This article explains why transport vehicles must be structurally sound, thermally efficient, and equipped with intelligent refrigeration to preserve the quality of highly perishable products like berries. It highlights how failure to meet strict temperature and handling requirements during transit leads to food spoilage, waste, and financial loss, underscoring the importance of fit-for-purpose equipment and processes.
Read Article: Where there's no airflow, there's no refrigeration
Don’t just build it strong... power it smart.
This article stresses that true cold chain compliance begins with the thermal efficiency of refrigerated transport, including low K values, proper insulation, and refrigeration systems capable of handling real-world heat loads. It calls for better industry practices, testing, and temperature transparency at transfer points to reduce emissions, protect product quality, and combat food waste.
Read Article: Effectiveness of refrigeration power, the forgotten feature of thermal efficiency
How transport design decisions can save fuel, reduce waste, and extend equipment life.
This article explains the critical interdependence between a vehicle’s insulation quality and the power of its refrigeration system, noting that even the best body build is ineffective without matching refrigeration capacity. It underscores that thermal efficiency, food safety, and fuel use are compromised when either component is underperforming, highlighting the importance of compliance with standards like AS4982.
Read Article: Thermal performance of transports is the beginning of cold chain compliance