Cold Chain History, Ice Houses and Temperature-Controlled Packaging.

Cold chain packaging can’t be faked. You either get it right or you don’t. There’s no such thing as hiding your mistakes. But have you ever wondered how temperature-controlled packaging and transportation worked before the freezer? Was the world doomed to drink hot beverages all summer long? Not exactly. In fact, cold chain logistics has a longer history than you may realize.

The ice ages (aka cold chain history).

Archaeologists have found references to ice houses that date back thousands of years. These ancient ice houses were used to store blocks of ice that were gathered during winter. In fact, sometimes the ice was delivered from the high altitudes of surrounding mountain towns in the region. Ancient Rome even had snow shops where spectators could cool off before heading into the Coliseum to see gladiators in action.

How did ice houses work back in the day?

Ice houses worked based on a simple knowledge of insulation. These partially-buried buildings with thick walls would house several tons of ice that were covered with straw or sawdust to further insulate the blocks. Which meant a Pharaoh of Egypt could have watched the pyramids being built while enjoying a cup of water with ice brought in from cooler climates.

Slowly building cold chain link by link.

Some would argue the genesis of cold chain logistics corresponded with the fishing trade in the late 1700s as a method to keep seafood fresh on vessels. But it wasn’t until the 1800s that the greatest strides in cold chain packaging were made. In 1817, the first cardboard box was made in England. Then, in 1839, Eduard Simon brilliantly (but accidentally) created the precursor to styrofoam by distilling a resin from storax. By 1851, the first refrigerated box car entered service, then in 1895, Carol von Linde designed the scale production of domestic cooling units. The stage was being set for a massive leap forward in cold chain packaging solutions and logistics.

Why the 20th century was cooler than ever.

Although Fred Jones may sound like a fairly common name, this particular Fred did something astounding in 1939: he invented refrigerated trucking. His roof-mounted refrigeration unit revolutionized the frozen food industry. Then in 1944, Eduard Simon’s mistake was finally brought to fruition and styrofoam was officially invented. This not only revolutionized the cold chain packaging market by allowing the safe transport of frozen and refrigerated foods, but also provided temperature-controlled packaging for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.

Goodbye, icebox. Hello, refrigerator.

By the late 1940s and early 1950s, the refrigerator and freezer were commonplace in almost every American home by the 1950s. And just as the cooling technologies were changing in the home, so were the industrial cold chain logistics. 1971 marked the end of an era, as the last of the ice-cooled “reefers” were retired. Then by 1985, the first temperature-controlled railcar hit the tracks and was nostalgically named, “the icebox on wheels.”

Cold chain packaging today: TempEndure™ from Ernest.

It’s been a long journey from the ice house and the ice box, but it’s brought humankind to a very cool place. Simply hit the fast forward button a few years and suddenly you have revolutionary options for temperature-controlled packaging, such as our TempEndureTM consistent-temperature packaging system. TempEndureTM offers you the only fully integrated, sustainable approach for creating customized packaging with its own internal environment.

In other words, with TempEndureTM you can have your ice cream cake and eat it too. Matter of fact, we’ll help you keep any of your perishables at a constant temperature wherever on earth you want to ship them. Just ask Commodity Forwarders Inc. Check out our Blazing Tales video below to see how we help CFI get the most temperature-sensitive goods to all corners of the globe in the freshest way possible. And remember,
if you’d like to learn more about our cold chain solutions, simply reach out to us today at Ernest.