Kingspan, an Ireland-based company, has come up with a solution to the problem of post-harvest food loss, with its cold store systems
Kingspan MEATCA president Dr Suat Kıroğlu said, “With ColdBox, we both contribute to reducing food losses, and prevent products from losing value for the producers. We are delighted to have found a modular, easy, and guaranteed method of preventing post-harvest depreciation of crops.”
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about one-third of the food produced globally is either lost or wasted along the food supply chain. This amounts to over a billion tonnes of food and US$940bn in economic losses annually, while one in nine people remain undernourished.
Dr Kıroğlu added that a variety of goods can be stored using ColdBox, including vegetables, fruits, meat, and sea products for a lower electricity cost due to its energy-efficient design compared to traditional cold room solutions.
Although in principle the food produced around the world is enough to feed the global population, recent statistics by FAO show that the number of people in the world affected by hunger has reached 811 million. Post-harvest food loss that occurs between production and distribution stages is one crucial environmental issue that demands immediate eco-friendly remedies from companies that seek solutions to improve storage, transport, and sales methods.
While explaining its features, Dr Kıroğlu said, “Its patented steel-free self-supporting design eliminates the need for expensive steel framework. The QuadCore technology behind the product’s design increases energy efficiency with its thermal performance. The cold storage systems also provide 3.5 times more storage than any typical modular cold room storage available in the market. All components fit into a single container which can be shipped to any destination globally just with the click of a finger. The components can be easily installed on the spot.”
