According to the results of a study funded by Carrier, investment in the cold chain—specifically pre-cooling and transport refrigeration equipment – can reduce food loss by 76% and carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2E) by 16%.

Carrier commissioned a study to examine the extent to which the cold chain can help increase the quality, reach and profitability of kinnow, a citrus fruit rich in micronutrients and common to the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, by enabling sales out-of-season and in distant markets. This, according to Carrier, is an area of critical importance to India, which is the world’s second largest producer of fruits and vegetables but accounts for just 1.5% of global produce exports due to losses of up to 20-50% of total production.

The study was conducted by the Indian School of Business under the direction of the National Center for Cold-chain Development (NCCD) of India and Carrier Transicold India, and in collaboration with Balaji Kinnow, one of the largest aggregators in the Punjab region and the first to use a Carrier pre-cooling system, which is designed for the rapid removal of heat from freshly harvested produce. This process is typically done before the produce is shipped to market or put into cold storage.

“The small percentage of kinnow that is exported to other domestic and international markets is often transported in open trucks, with cumulative losses as high as 32%,” said Pankaj Mehta, managing director of Carrier Transicold India, in announcing the results at the World Cold Chain Summit. “Many markets in India and abroad have never enjoyed a flavorful, nutritious kinnow. The challenge is to convince all the stakeholders that the cold chain is a smart investment with a relatively short payback period.”

For more information on the study or the cold chain, visit naturalleader.com.