Dairy & Eggs Industry
Which two items consistently top grocery lists? Milk and eggs. Many a quick trip to the store has been made for one of these staples alone. Although ubiquitous in the American fridge, supplying consumers and their families with these products isn’t easy. Shipments must arrive at retail stores fast to avoid spoilage and increase store shelf life. Products must remain in a cold environment at all times. And, sanitation must be outstanding during production and manufacturing—as well as at every point along the transportation supply chain.
Dairy products and eggs are highly susceptible to spoilage or contamination from bacteria such as salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli. But consumer demand requires suppliers and retailers to offer them in ever-increasing numbers, at ever-decreasing prices. How can egg and dairy manufacturers deliver products that are fresh and meet FDA standards, while keeping their total cost of business (TCOB) low? The answer is the iGPS plastic pallet pooling system.
From the Farm to Our Nation’s Families, iGPS Overcomes Every Delivery Obstacle
Their highly perishable nature makes egg and dairy products exceptionally difficult to safely deliver to the consumer. And, when things go wrong it makes headlines. In 1994, 200,000 people nationwide were affected by ice cream contaminated with salmonella. The cause was determined to be wood pallets contaminated by raw eggs from a previous shipment—a completely avoidable, but not uncommon, situation in the dairy and egg industries.
Producers, manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers all play a crucial role in overcoming these logistics obstacles when bringing milk, eggs, and cheese to families’ tables:
Sanitation is critical: Every surface a product comes in contact with must be kept sanitary during both production and transportation. This requires detailed attention to supply chain materials, such as ensuring that pallets are hygienic and that trucks are disinfected between loads. When products arrive on store shelves, they must meet or exceed all U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) standards.
Egg and dairy products must be kept cold: These products require cooling facilities and specialized equipment to ensure they stay within a precise temperature range at all times to avoid spoilage.
