The cold chain is a continuous refrigerating system that must be strictly adhered to when transporting sensitive or perishable goods. Chilled and frozen food for the catering industry and supermarkets, as well as many chemical and medical products, must be kept at the right refrigerated temperature on their way from the manufacturer, via the wholesaler, to the consumer. This is the only way to ensure that they reliably meet the high safety, quality and hygiene requirements that are also prescribed by law.
In terms of time, the cold chain can be divided into two phases: With rapid freezing or blast freezing, the chilled goods, e.g. meat, seafood or even blood supplies and medical samples, are brought to a specific temperature in a very short amount of time. Once the desired temperature has been reached, the goods are often stored refrigerated for a longer period of time until they are finally processed or consumed.