The officers of the Aprilia Traffic Police Detachment stopped and inspected a refrigerated truck used for the transport of refrigerated food goods destined for supermarkets in the province of Latina.
The vehicle was stopped at Km 52 of the SS 148 Pontina, in the Campoverde di Aprilia area.
Ice cream, breaded fish fillets, pre-cooked pizzas in poor condition
The officers checked the cargo compartment where they found fresh and frozen foodstuffs collected on 4 pallets and stored in 2 thermo-insulated cells together with other non-food products. The goods were directed to a distributor in the area and then subsequently placed on the market in the context of large-scale distribution in the province of Latina.
During the inspection of the truck, the motorcyclists of the Aprilia Traffic Police were able to ascertain that the refrigeration unit was turned off. The cold chain was therefore compromised.
The interruption of the cold chain in the case of goods that must be transported at a controlled temperature can cause the goods to deteriorate. For this reason the agents requested the intervention of ASL staff.
Having carried out the necessary checks, the ASL staff ordered the destruction of all foodstuffs. The preservation of food was in fact irremediably compromised. These were ice creams, breaded fish fillets, pre-cooked pizzas and other ready-made frozen products, which could no longer be placed on the market to be sold to the final consumer.
The driver of the vehicle was also accused of further infringements of the highway code which also entailed the additional sanction of having his license withdrawn.
The cold chain
The State Police is carrying out numerous checks in the province of Latina regarding road traffic, with particular reference to the transport of goods.
Particular attention is paid to the control of the cold chain.
By “cold chain” we mean the entire set of procedures, rules and techniques that serve to preserve and guarantee the maximum quality of the fresh or frozen food product, from production to transport, up to sale.
The purpose of the Cold Chain is to best preserve the product, guaranteeing its integrity, hygiene standards and food safety.
As for frozen foods, the maximum temperature allowed is -18°.
The various steps of the Cold Chain include:
- Loading of the product from the manufacturer’s headquarters onto suitable means of transport;
- Unloading of the product at the distribution site;
- Transport of the product, contained in the cartons, on the platforms;
- Carton transportation;
- Storage in intermediate cold rooms;
- Display on sales counters.
During none of these steps the cold chain must be interrupted, since every single link in the chain is essential in order not to alter the quality of the product.
As regards means of transport, refrigerated trucks must be equipped with tools that allow operators to keep the temperature in the transport compartment under control. This temperature is automatically recorded every 5 minutes if the journey lasts less than 24 hours; every 20 minutes, if the journey lasts longer. The data of the temperatures detected will be stored and made available to the bodies responsible for controls.
As regards local distribution, the vehicles must be equipped with a clearly visible thermometer indicating the air temperature in the transport compartment.
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Tags: Aprilia goods destined supermarkets province Latina seized destroyed
