ISO/TC 315 - Cold chain logistics

This document specifies the requirements and recommendations for establishing a traceability system for food in cold chain logistics, which enables integrated functions such as collecting traceability information, managing traceability information and implementing traceability. This document is applicable to the management processes by supporting food traceability whereas cold chain logistics service providers are needed, covering transportation, warehousing, loading and unloading and other related points in cold chain logistics links towards the end customers.

This document defines terms in the field of cold chain logistics.

This document specifies requirements and guidelines for refrigerated storage services and refrigerated transport services for foods, in the business to business (B to B) logistics sector in order to ensure that cold chains are properly maintained. This document does not apply to logistics services for cosmetics, cigarettes, pharmaceutical and medical products, over-the-counter drugs and commercially available medicine. This document does not apply to customs operations. This document applies to environments where refrigeration must be created and maintained, and does not apply to environments needing to raise storage temperatures.

This document specifies requirements for refrigerated delivery service providers to deliver goods directly from the last contactless refrigerated goods operation areas at distribution centres to recipients through contactless cold chain, depending on customers' needs. This document does not apply to the transfer of goods between distribution centres. This document includes requirements for: — refrigerated delivery service providers; — facilities and the equipment involved in contactless refrigerated delivery; — the operation process; — the handling of abnormal conditions. This standard is also applicable to scenarios that need contactless cold chain delivery under special circumstances, such as epidemics.

This document specifies requirements for the provision and operation of indirect, temperature-controlled refrigerated delivery services for refrigerated parcels which contain temperature-sensitive goods (including foods) in land transportation. It includes all refrigerated delivery service stages from acceptance (receipt) of a chilled or frozen parcel from the delivery service user to its delivery at the designated destination, including intermediate transfer of the refrigerated parcels between refrigerated vehicles or container and via a geographical routing system. This document also includes requirements for resources, operations and communications to delivery service users. It is intended for application by refrigerated delivery service providers. This document does not cover requirements for: a) refrigerated parcel delivery via modes of transport such as airplane, ship or train; b) refrigerated parcels that are transported in ambient temperatures due to the fact that they contain their own refrigeration materials (for example, ice packs, refrigerated foam bricks, dry ice blocks) and are surrounded and enclosed by sealed thermo protective packaging that creates a separate refrigerated climate to that provided within the delivery service. However, these types of refrigerated parcels may be transported through a refrigerated delivery service; c) direct refrigerated delivery services in which chilled parcels and frozen parcels are collected from the delivery service user and transported directly to a recipient without in-transit transfer; d) the quality or the measurement of the temperature of the contents of the chilled parcels or frozen parcels being delivered and their pre-point of receipt state, however it does set the requirements for the refrigerated delivery service carrying them; e) Medical devices and medical equipment and pharmaceuticals might be subject to specific legislation and require specific transport requirements and are therefore, excluded from the scope of this document. NOTE Resources covered by requirements of this document include facilities, refrigerated vehicles, cold stores, and staff members. This document is not limited to covering specific sizes of vehicles, as long as the performance requirements can be met. Land transport refrigerated vehicles which are conveyed in a ship as roll-on/roll-off vehicles are covered by this document. While this document does not cover requirements directly relating to the quality or safety of the refrigerated parcels being delivered, attention is drawn to specific country legislation that might require a refrigerated delivery service provider to adhere to additional requirements outside of this document, such as monitoring the temperature of the refrigerated parcel itself, or specific requirements regarding the segregation of different types of refrigerated parcel. It is important to note that the contents of refrigerated parcels referenced within this document are not limited to edible or perishable products.