Food industry representative advocates the need for working hand in hand with HVACR industry to ensure food safety. By B Surendar.

Anil Nair of Kraft Foods on February 21 pushed for closer collaboration with the HVACR industry to overcome challenges related to food contamination. Anil was presenting during a Food Safety Symposium session, titled ‘Role of Cold Chain Management in Food Safety’, in which he revealed the weakening of the chain at the retail stage. He pointed to the example of a case relating to the contamination of Philadelphia cheese (a Kraft product) at a retail outlet in the GCC. Investigation revealed improper handling practices, which resulted in temperature abuse and, hence, the spoiling of the cheese.

Alex Pachai

Citing the example, Nair said lack of awareness among some retailers led to food safety issues and that it was upon the food and the HVACR industries to commonly address the problem.

The session also hosted presentations by refrigerant consultants and equipment manufacturers, who raised several issues related to handling and storage practices.

Ghaleb Abusaa

In his presentation, Roberto Helena of Emerson Climate Technologies said that energy efficiency equipment came at a cost, and that it was important to look at the lifecycle cost while selecting refrigeration equipment. Alex Pachai of Johnson Controls said that while legislation was good, there was a pressing need for enforcement. Prakash Krishnamoorthy of Carrier Transicold stretched the enforcement point further when he said that it was essential to ensure that everybody checked the temperature during the transportation stage. Another key point the presenters raised was maintenance. Ghaleb Abusaa of consultancy firm, en3 Solutions, said that cleaning of cooling equipment was crucial to control microbial growth.

B Surendar of Climate Control Middle East magazine chaired the session.