An online tool aimed at tackling the serious shortcomings in how chilled and frozen food is handled in Australia will help operators in the sector, no matter their size, the Australian Food Cold Chain Council (AFCCC ) says.
The Benchmarking Tool will help all Australian businesses, no matter their size, to position themselves in world best practice compliance, and through a range of resources, help them to achieve compliance or ensure they stay compliant.
The launch was one of the highlights of the Turning the Dial event, a two-day exploration of technologies and policies to reduce food waste and and encourage sustainability beyond an environmental lens.
Turning the Dial was an initiative of the Western Australian government Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
AFCCC chairman Mark Mitchell said, "It was quite refreshing to engage with the can-do approach from the Western Australian government teams, which have a strong cold chain focus."
The Benchmarking Tool was developed and road tested by the Australian Food Cold Chain Council (AFCCC ) in collaboration with the Australian Government's AusIndustry department.
The unique tool enables all participants in the cold chain, from paddock to plate, to be measured against world’s best practice for handling food for human consumption.
AusIndustry and the AFCCC suggest that a long-term cold chain awareness, training, and development program using this tool could be significant in reducing Australia's $36.6 billion a year food waste bill. Other benefits would be a reduction in the wastage of resources including land, water, energy and fuel while maintain food quality and safety, lifting brand value and profitability.
The pilot was acclaimed by industry experts as one of the best tools yet devised, and would encourage communication with food industry groups involved in the cold chain like never before. The Tool could be the most effective means of raising awareness among small to medium enterprises on how they can achieve cold chain improvements.
Mitchell said the Cold Chain Benchmarking Tool delivered a great deal more than a simple report on a company's status as a cold chain participant.
"After completing the cold chain Benchmarking Tool, the results will trigger a referral to a wide range of resources including training, scientific studies on food handling and cold chain food handling procedures and checklists. Participants will be guided to the support and resources that will help them improve their cold chain footprint.
"Everybody wins with this easy-to-use online tool. By participating, every business will be creating a valuable report against which to measure themselves and assess areas for improvement. It’s a long-term resource that can only lead to continuing improvement in the way perishable food for human consumption is handled and potentially preserve shelf life," Mitchell said.
