What is the cold chain?
The cold chain is the set of logistical and domestic operations (transport, handling, storage) aimed at maintaining one or more food or pharmaceutical products at a given temperature in order to ensure that its healthiness or taste qualities are maintained. Depending on the product, standards set temperature limits and tolerances (0°C to +2°C for fresh fish, +0°C to +4°C for meat and charcuterie, -15°C to -18°C for frozen food. The problems of respecting the cold chain are also found in pharmaceutical products (vaccines +2°C to +8°C, blood products +2°C to +6°C for blood concentrates or +20°C to +25°C for platelets).
The interest of the term chain is to underline the importance of the continuity of the stages; no link should give way and destroy the essence of the general effort deployed to end up with a product that is preserved from any overheating.