Australians love their chocolate. Over half the population are chocolate buyers, but did you ever wonder how all that chocolate gets from the factory to our local stores?
Transporting food, in general, is a delicate business. Any changes in temperature or too much stress and vibration along the way can permanently damage it and make it unsellable. This is even more true when it comes to chocolate as it is very sensitive, and any mistakes during the transport process can affect its look, smell and taste, making it undesirable to hungry customers.
As such, it takes a professional approach to handle such delicate cargo as chocolate and safely deliver it to stores and supermarkets across the country. Fortunately, Minus 1 has over 30 years of experience transporting cargo both big and small all across Australia. In this article, we are going to share a little insight into some of the unique challenges that come with transporting chocolate.
Chocolate is extremely vulnerable to temperature changes, so it needs to be stored and transported in a temperature-controlled environment. Even a slight increase in temperature can not only deform the chocolate, but it can also hinder its signature tastes. If the temperature is too high during the transportation process, the chocolate can melt or even burn, and once the chocolate starts to break down, the fat begins to separate. Also, if the temperature during transport is too high, or if there’s too much humidity in the transport unit itself, the chocolate can even start to grow mold, posing a range of potential health concerns for the end consumer.
But just as the quality of chocolate can be affected if it’s too hot, so too can it be damaged if the temperature is too cold. For example, if the chocolate develops frost and contains a liquid filling such as a liqueur, then the liquid filling will expand and crack the outer shell. Another thing to be aware of is that if the chocolate is unloaded directly into a warm environment from a cool storage container, this can create condensation and further damage its quality.
Smell, or lack thereof, is also very important when it comes to the transportation of chocolate. Cocoa products need to be stored in odourless storage or transport settings because they can absorb external odours very easily. In fact, the more cocoa butter chocolate contains, the more it will absorb external odours.
It’s also very important that packages are marked properly so that transport vehicle drivers and storage personnel know how to handle them. Chocolate is usually packaged in aluminium foil or paper, plastic film or trays, and then in corrugated cardboard boxes. This helps to avoid their placement in environments set to compromise their quality.
A lot clearly goes into the transportation of chocolate. The good news is that Minus 1, with over three decades’ worth of experience, has the expertise to handle such delicate – and popular – cargo. To learn more on our services, contact us today by calling directly on (03) 9792 9011, or complete our online enquiry form, and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
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