Such solutions could prevent millions of tons of food from being lost.
by IsoCindu
37% of the food produced in Mexico is wasted. This is equal to 10 million 431 thousand tons each year (it would be like filling 130 times the Azteca Stadium of the CDMX), and what is most wasted is bread, rice, fish, avocado, nopal, guava and banana. If those millions of tons of food were recovered, the hunger of more than seven million Mexicans could be avoided, according to data from the Ministry of Social Development (Sedesol).
In addition, the problem does not occur only in Mexico, it is a situation that is repeated throughout the planet. "Every day around the world, millions of people go to sleep hungry and yet millions of tons of food end up in the trash or go bad during storage and transportation to markets. We must address this problem in every country to improve food security and end poverty," Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank Group, said in a world bank statement.
According to the study "Characterization and Management of Food Loss and Waste in North America," conducted by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in Montreal, Canada, the estimated volume of food waste per capita in Mexico is 249 kilograms per person per year. Of this total, 40 kg are wasted during the distribution phase and 45 kg in processing. In both cases, the absence of an adequate cold chain is one of the main causes.
The greatest loss of food is generated in the supply plants, which are the largest commercial intermediaries of food in Mexico, where the volume of loss reaches 26% of fresh products, since only 1% of winemakers in the food markets have the appropriate infrastructure for the treatment of this type of products.
According to the National Association of Distributors of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry (Andira), that amount of waste could be greatly reduced if efficient and sustainable refrigeration equipment were available, as well as an effective cold chain. In addition, Andira points out that the lack of knowledge about the cold chain "is a key factor in excessive food waste."
The cold chain is all the steps to follow to ensure a good refrigeration or freezing process of perishable foods, so that they can safely reach the final consumer. It is called "chain" because it includes different stages: if there were any failure in any of these, the entire succession would be affected and the quality and reliability of the product would be impaired.
If in the preservation of food there are no good conditions of humidity and temperature, microorganisms can multiply quickly. It is estimated that a single bacterium doubles in 15 minutes, so in just six hours there are already 16 million of them. According to the Pan American Health Organization, food contamination is the leading cause of 150,000 deaths a year. To avoid this situation, the cold chain is fundamental, mainly in meat, milk, fruits and vegetables, raw materials, frozen foods, floriculture, and even medicines.
Within the cold chain, cold rooms play a fundamental role; the problem is that construction materials are still used that do not guarantee the correct preservation of food. Cold rooms are fundamental temperature-controlled environments in the food industry as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. One or more cells connected to each other allow to obtain storage, refrigeration or pre-refrigeration rooms of products that can vary from +18º C to -28º C.
"The correct construction of a cold room involves particular care in some critical elements, such as the doors – if they are poorly made, do not close properly or do not open – the joints between the panels – which can allow the entry of moisture and the consequent conformation of condensation stalactites – and the floor – which can to freeze and make the staff slip," said Arnaldo Figurelli, CEO of IsoCindu, a Mexican company that produces insulating panels.
"The variables in such problems range from poor master project planning to poor selection of installed panels and fixtures. An important point to keep in mind is that once the refrigerated room is built, there is no way to fix it, either you live with the problem or you do it again, losing the investment made, "added the executive.
To have a properly controlled temperature area, the choice of innovative materials and technologies that increase energy efficiency such as wall and ceiling panels that isolate from the thermal point of view and provide protection against humidity is indispensable.
IsoCindu has products such as Isocop and Isobox, perfect panels for walls of cold rooms and temperature controlled environments, offering a thickness of eight inches, unique in the market, which allows an optimal level of thermal insulation even in adverse conditions such as in the hottest areas of Mexico.
To this is added the Isofrozen panel, which has a gasket system that ensures that there is no cold leakage – one of the most common problems in temperature-controlled environments – and finally the innovative Leaf technology, which offers up to 20% more efficiency at thickness parity with respect to the market average. This leads to significant energy savings or the possibility of reducing the thickness of the panels and obtaining more space inside the refrigerated environments.
"In Mexico we are participating in the important and significant development of the cold chain, in line with global trends, but there is still much to be done especially in terms of knowledge of the correct and most modern techniques in this area," added Figurelli. "At IsoCindu we work hard to generate innovative alternatives for the different requirements of the market. I would like to emphasize the investment made to manufacture eight-inch panels, a unique product for the needs of refrigeration. In addition, we offer alternatives such as our Leaf technology and the Isofrozen panel, developed in Europe, both with a performance above the market average. The fact of producing in Mexico, in addition, allows us to achieve excellent delivery times to our customers."
IsoCindu was born in 2015 in Silao, Guanajuato, thanks to the strategic alliance formed by ISOPAN group and CINDU group. Isopan has more than 40 years in the market, is of Italian origin, based in Verona, Italy, and controls seven productive companies in the world. Cindu is of Venezuelan origin, with extensive experience in the design, manufacture and marketing of corrugated sheets, prefabricated waterproofing and paints for exteriors and interiors, with more than 70 years in the market.
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