Technology of Food Transport
Food transport technology has shaped our history and how we eat. In the past quarter of a century food transport technology has been revolutionized, so much so that on supermarket shelves consumers can find tropical fruits in the dead of winter. Today you can eat an apple from New Zealand, asparagus from Argentina or strawberries from Honduras all thanks to innovations in food transport technology. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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Food transport dates back to the Roman Empire and the Eastern spice trade when cultures transversed faraway lands to bring exotic spices and foods from the Far East to Europe. Until the 19th century, sea transport dominated food transport technology. However, during the 1800s the steamship and railway revolutionized continental transport and food trade.
Ground Transport
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During the 20th century and with the invention of the automobile and construction of highways, food transport became cheaper and more efficient.
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Food Processing
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Dehydration, canning, freezing and introduction of food preservatives have also advanced food preservation in transport. However, with fresh foods, refrigeration has played the most important role in food transport technology.
Refrigerated Cargo
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Lobsters can be shipped live due to advances in food transport technology. Refrigeration allowed for food transport to grow, now that perishable items could be kept fresh while in transit. Refrigerated cargo was important in the chilled food market, particularly meat. Today, most on-ground long distance carriers are 12 meters long, according to the "Handbook of Food Transport Science." Road transport or cargo trucks employ refrigeration using mechanical eutectic plates or liquid nitrogen cooling systems. Inadequate air distribution is the major challenge for refrigerated cargo.
Sea transport
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Many food products are shipped in temperature controlled sea ship containers, which have insulation layers and refrigerator units built into them. This system has permitted shippers to transport apples, blueberries, pears, avocadoes, melons and asparagus from the Pacific East to markets in the U.S. and Europe.
Air Transport
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As the fastest method of transport, air freight has been used for valuable highly perishable items such as lobster and specialty meats but has now been used increasingly for a variety of less perishable vegetables. However, most of the transit time is spent on the tarmac waiting to lift off and to dock.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit cargo image by Cristina Bernhardsen from Fotolia.com lobster pots image by Tom Curtis from Fotolia.com
