[Technical problems associated with the cold chain]

After having covered the current status of the cold chain in France, the author highlights the economic impact of refrigerated storage and processing involving refrigeration. Lose reduction is such that the return on investments is estimated as being roughly 3 years. In years to come, progress will be achieved in the field of plant design. Some information on design trends is provided. Operators in general, and carriers in particular, are faced with an increasingly complex regulatory framework leading to a competition imbalance. The current cold chain developmental trend is characterized by complex computer management of logistics: the flow of goods is modulated in order to meet the production to the distribution needs as cost effectively as possible. This logistic strategy enables management of downstream to upstream interfaces involving various operators. Finally, the author indicates the main causes of non-compliance with the cold chain, generally at retail and consumer levels.