AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (AKL)
11th March 2018
20:10
Today’s cargo is several boxes of fresh tuna, which our client’s shipping team loads into to the new multi-purpose temperature protective AeroTHERM container, carefully positioning them into a snug fit around the thermally-protective honeycomb walls. Double-checking the set temperature, the loading team close the curtain door and seal it tightly with military-grade zipper closure system, allowing no changes in outside temperature or humidity to affect the tuna. The AeroTHERM container is loaded onto the dolly and transported to the ramp, ready to be loaded on to the plane. In case of a delay, the insulated panels help protect the goods for up to 4 hours on the ramp and in the sun without any temperature change. Thankfully this flight is on time and the AeroTHERM container embarks on its 15hour journey to Chicago.
CHICAGO, USA (ORD)
11th March 2018
19:00
The AeroTHERM container arrives in Chicago, emerges from customs and is cleared for delivery. You, the importer, are waiting at the checkpoint to inspect the goods before they are transported to a local restaurant. Your team unseal the curtain door and stand back to allow you to examine the items.
You open the box and look inside. You frown. Your eyes narrow. You sniff at the contents of the box. You reach for your phone. You hastily dial the customer service number, ready to complain. You are upset over the phone, explaining that there is something wrong with the tuna you received. Alarmed, they ask to know more, and try to find out what could have possibly gone wrong with the delivery.
“Well…”, you say, “the tuna… it’s red. Shouldn’t it be brown?”
The AeroTHERM Advantage
Truly fresh tuna should always be a deep red color. The fact the one of our partners had only ever seen tuna arrive in a brown color demonstrates how difficult it is to maintain an item’s integrity, especially food products that need to remain fresh and at the right temperature during transportation. Transporting perishables is no easy feat, as there are a lot of variables one must consider to ensure they arrive safely at their destination.
The tuna was flown from Auckland to Chicago in our state-of-the-art AeroTHERM temperature protective container, which helped to keep the temperature below 4 degrees Celsius to ensure the tuna stays fresh. Its arrival in a deep red color was shocking to our client, as they had only seen tuna arrive brown.
This indicates that the fish has been exposed to air, as once fresh tuna has been sliced, it soon turns brown. The fish industry has taken to treating “brown” tuna with carbon monoxide to make it turn a bright pink that is more appetising to consumers than the actual brown color. While brown tuna does not mean that it is spoilt, it does mean that is has been exposed to air and therefore some level of disintegration has occurred, whereas deep red tuna is absolutely fresh.
(Deep Red vs. Treated Pink Tuna)
Perishables continue to be thrown out in mass amounts across America. According to the United Nations Environment Program, one third of the world’s food supply – 1.3 billion tons – is wasted annually, estimated to be worth $1 trillion lost each year. This reinforces the need for the safe transport of perishables across the globe in order to decrease unnecessary waste.
We aim to offer our customers and the industry better solutions to transporting goods and we proudly believe that our AeroTHERM temperature protective container, also runner-up in the IATA Air Cargo Innovation Award 2019, is the proven answer.
AEROTUF ULDs are a safe, cost-effective and sustainable alternative to the issue of transporting perishables. Other ULDs need to use thermal blankets, gel packs and other ancillary equipment to keep their containers cool, whereas the AeroTHERM’s unique thermally insulated panels, act as a barrier between the goods and any changes in outside temperature. These thermal insulated panels and our patented temperature protective curtain door eliminate the need for additional ancillary equipment or expensive temperature controlled containers, which saves our partners thousands of dollars in additional equipment, reducing handling time, material and food waste as well as reducing carbon impact.
Do you want to transport your perishables in a safer, stronger and cleaner way? AEROTUF is the answer for a cleaner and greener sky. Get in touch with us here to request a demo of our AeroTHERM solution.
