Experts on the storage, transportation, and sale of perishable food products once again took part in an annual conference on issues concerning the uninterrupted cold chain (UCC) during the V Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia 2022. The Association of Refrigerated Rolling Stock Operators (ASORPS) and the Russian Union of Refrigeration Industry Enterprises (Rossoyuzkholodprom) take part in the conference each year and presented their final version of a draft law on an uninterrupted refrigeration chain for the transportation of perishable food products, along with other authors of the bill.
The conference was attended by Alexey Barykin, who led the working group that drafted the bill, while ASORPS President Mikhail Sinyov served as a moderator. The experts spoke about the basic principles of the UCC and confirmed that the bill needs to be adopted for the entire logistics community and the fishing industry. They also discussed the traceability and temperature maintenance of aquatic biological resources along the entire route, the storage of fish and seafood products at warehouses as well as wholesale and retail networks, the role of railways and road transport in servicing the UCC in Russia, technical requirements for storage facilities, the adoption of a unified classification for perishable food products in Russia, and forms of control over the activities of UCC agents.
The reports presented the main provisions of the new bill and provided details about the management bodies of UCC agents and the producers of perishable food products and raw materials for such products, tools to manage the efficiency of the UCC, transitional provisions, and exemptions.
Members of various enterprises of the industry expressed their opinions on both the shortcomings and merits of the proposed law. Among the positive features, they pointed out such provisions as the unification of transportation standards and requirements, the organizational structure, the criteria for professionals on UCC, the responsibility of the parties involved in the process, and improvements to the nation’s health. In terms of shortcomings, the experts cited the need to amend the country’s current legislation to implement the new law, equal requirements for small, medium, and large businesses, a common compensation fund along with mandatory insurance, difficulties in the accreditation and certification of experts, and the requirements for the disposal of products that are transported with any violations of the law.
Representatives of the Federal Agency for Fisheries outlined important points associated with the industry’s logistics. For the UCC sector to operate fully and effectively, each stage of transportation needs to be tracked and controlled since fishing areas are often far away from the places where the final product is sold. The experts cited transport along the Northern Sea Route as the least traditional delivery method. The biggest reason for its use is the economic factor. Work is currently underway to subsidize such transportation.
Following the presentation of the bill, the experts took into account constructive criticism and noted the importance of further improving both the bill and the systematic components of the industry as a whole.