Initiative for a Safe and Sustainable Cold and Frozen Chain

A new initiative for a safe and sustainable cold and frozen chain has been established in Brussels – The Cold Chain Network. The partners of the network, the European Cold Storage Association ECSLA, the VDKL, and the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), therefore published a joint statement on the importance of the cold and frozen chain in Europe on April 11, 2024, in Brussels.

(Bonn/Brussels) Jan Peilnsteiner, ECSLA board member and VDKL managing director: “The Cold Chain Network stands for safe and efficient food and pharmaceutical logistics in Europe. And this even in significant crisis situations.” The past years have been significantly burdened, among other things, by the Corona pandemic. Additionally, a Europe-wide energy crisis was one of the major economic challenges in the temperature-controlled food industry. Therefore, the companies in the cold chain had to react quickly, flexibly, and efficiently. The European cold and frozen chain has mastered all of this.

Starting in 2021, experts in temperature-controlled logistics built a unique storage and transport infrastructure in a short time, delivering life-saving Corona vaccines to more than 350 million people.

And despite significant pressures from high energy prices since 2022/2023, the supply of the European population with fresh and frozen food or pharmaceutical products and vaccines has been ensured day and night.

Raising Public Awareness of the Importance of the Cold and Frozen Chain

The Cold Chain Network, consisting of ECSLA, VDKL, and GCCA, now aims to raise public awareness of the important significance of the cold and frozen chain. The initiative is therefore directed, among others, at the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the members of the Parliamentary Council.

The network is a European association of organizations and companies that safely store, transport, and distribute temperature-controlled food and goods while complying with all quality requirements. The members of the Cold Chain Network represent all stages of the supply chain, from the production and manufacturing of goods, their storage, picking, and distribution to retail, gastronomy, or consumers at home.

Photo: © Association of German Cold Storage & Refrigerated Logistics Companies e.V.