The transport of perishable food is one of the less visible links in the food industry, yet one of the most important for ensuring the safety of products that reach consumers. In a recent edition of the Meat.Milk. show, Ștefan Bercaru, Commercial Director of Termoport, spoke about his nearly three decades of experience in refrigeration systems for transport and about the evolution of this sector in Romania.

A refrigeration engineer by training, Ștefan Bercaru entered the industry almost 30 years ago, at a time when the refrigerated transport market was still in its early stages. Investments were difficult, technology was limited, and the number of operators able to afford such equipment was very small. At that time, even the simplest refrigeration unit for transport could exceed the value of the vehicle on which it was installed, while distribution fleets were extremely limited.

In this context, the development of both the company and the market took place gradually, in parallel with the growth of clients in the food industry. According to the guest, the first companies that invested in refrigerated transport did so mainly out of necessity, in order to expand the distribution of perishable products beyond local production areas.

As the sector developed, the responsibility for maintaining the correct temperature became a shared obligation among several actors in the food chain: producers, transporters, and retailers.

“There are at least three entities involved in maintaining the cold chain: the producer, the transporter, and the store. Each has the responsibility to check the temperature both at dispatch and upon receipt of the goods,” explained the Termoport representative.

The discussion also addressed technological developments in the field. Today, modern monitoring systems allow for real-time transmission and storage of temperature data, facilitating transport documentation and product traceability throughout the entire logistics chain.

Beyond the responsibility of industry operators, the guest emphasized that consumers can also observe certain simple indicators regarding storage conditions. The temperature displayed in refrigerated display units in stores, as well as the appearance of perishable products, can provide important clues about how well the cold chain is maintained.

After nearly three decades of activity in the field, the experience accumulated by the Termoport team shows that the development of refrigerated transport in Romania has been closely linked to the evolution of the food industry and the increasing standards of food safety. For operators in this sector, maintaining the correct temperature remains one of the essential conditions for ensuring that perishable products reach consumers in optimal condition.