ShareShipping fresh produce overseas is a key business for airlines operating out of Los Angeles
For companies shipping fruit and vegetables by air from the West Coast of the USA to high-end supermarkets and restaurants in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the overarching rule is: Never break the cold chain.
For companies shipping fruit and vegetables by air from the West Coast of the USA to high-end supermarkets and restaurants in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the overarching rule is: Never break the cold chain.
If fresh strawberries sit in the sun for as few as 15 minutes — whether on a truck or on the tarmac awaiting a flight — they could be ruined.
At Lufthansa, fresh California produce not only flies three times weekly from Los Angeles to Europe, but is also shipped on every passenger flight from Los Angeles.
On a full flight, chilled fruits and vegetables can weigh as much as all the passenger luggage combined: a plane may have 9000 kg of luggage and roughly 11 340 kg of cargo such as asparagus, cherries, lettuce and berries.
Shipping produce by air is worth about USD 440 million annually to California's economy, and for major international airlines operating out of Los Angeles, shipping produce is a key business. Fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts account for 15% of the total cargo shipments by weight out of Los Angeles.
On board, the captain sets the cargo hold temperature - usually between 2 and 8°C. Certain airports are particularly suitable for transiting fresh fruits and vegetables: Frankfurt International Airport has a "perishable centre," a 9000-m² temperature-controlled facility that processes about 130 000 metric tons of perishable goods every year.
If fresh strawberries sit in the sun for as few as 15 minutes — whether on a truck or on the tarmac awaiting a flight — they could be ruined.
At Lufthansa, fresh California produce not only flies three times weekly from Los Angeles to Europe, but is also shipped on every passenger flight from Los Angeles.
On a full flight, chilled fruits and vegetables can weigh as much as all the passenger luggage combined: a plane may have 9000 kg of luggage and roughly 11 340 kg of cargo such as asparagus, cherries, lettuce and berries.
Shipping produce by air is worth about USD 440 million annually to California's economy, and for major international airlines operating out of Los Angeles, shipping produce is a key business. Fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts account for 15% of the total cargo shipments by weight out of Los Angeles.
On board, the captain sets the cargo hold temperature - usually between 2 and 8°C. Certain airports are particularly suitable for transiting fresh fruits and vegetables: Frankfurt International Airport has a "perishable centre," a 9000-m² temperature-controlled facility that processes about 130 000 metric tons of perishable goods every year.