international cold chain
“ [ INTERNATIONAL IMPORT REQUIREMENTS ] ARE ALL SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE , BUT THEY ALL COME DOWN TO THE SAME THING , WHICH IS ABOUT SAFE FOOD AND SAFE SUPPLY CHAINS .”
– DOUG HARRISON , VERSACOLD One of VersaCold ’ s approved facilities
Compliance Verification Inspection . That document is forwarded with the application to the Chief Veterinary Officer in Ottawa for review , and the CFIA then forwards the results on to China ’ s Certification and Accreditation Administration ( CNCA ).
“ The CNCA will review the information received and process it in the manner that they see fit – either approving , asking for more information or denying the request ,” said Harrison . “ So it ’ s a very complete and detailed process to ensure the safety of the food products .”
He reports that VersaCold encountered no major challenges in navigating the Meat Inspection Act and China ’ s veterinary hygiene and public health regulations .
“ We already had three facilities that were licensed for exports to China , so we were already comfortable with the requirements ,” said Harrison .
In order to make sure that the licensing process went smoothly , VersaCold worked with third-party advisors on international trade requirements “ to ensure that we knew what the appropriate requirements were , but again , because we already had very deep dealings in this piece of legislation and because we had ongoing relations with the CFIA , most of the activity was all done in-house ,” said Harrison . “ It was not difficult ; it was appropriately deep . It was a very good , constructive conversation with the regulatory bodies .”
As for the cost , “ I would say we invested in the process to make sure we were doing all the right things ,” he said .
Now , VersaCold is licensed to warehouse many frozen or refrigerated food products in China , as long as they originate from a regulated facility . Beef and pork products are the most commonly shipped items , but throughout the business , “ we handle all sorts of food products – anything you can imagine in the frozen or refrigerated food lines .”
China is not alone in requiring this type of process ; different importing countries have slightly different requirements , processes and forms .
“ It ’ s a big requirement in a big industry , and that ’ s why we have invested so much in the Cold Chain Assurance Group to make sure we meet those requirements ,” said Harrison .
Every country the company exports to has “ very high requirements ,” he says . “ They ’ re all slightly different and unique , but they all come down to the same thing , which is about safe food and safe supply chains .”
Managing the safe handling of temperature-sensitive food products throughout an international supply chain is no easy feat .
“[ It ] certainly takes a lot of expertise ,” said Harrison . “ It ’ s a product that has a reasonably short shelf life , so time is sensitive , and because it ’ s a food product , the thing we talk to our employees about is the importance of food quality and the integrity and safety of the product ; that ’ s why we ’ re so interested in being BRC-certified across our whole network .”
“ Supply chains are always unique ,” he said . “ It ’ s challenging and demanding to ensure we are responding to changes in supply chains on a global basis . This is an important series of certifications and a high standard . We ’ re thrilled to be able to play this important role in the safety of the food supply chain . As a major player in Canada , we and all of our team members take it very seriously .”
20 • SUPPLYCHAINCANADA . CA • SCMA