One of the biggest fears when storing goods, be they perishable or unperishable, is that they will not be stored properly. This will affect their quality in one way or another. Improper storage could lead to risks and consequences that may lead to you having to throw away the goods and dent your bank account. Having this in mind, the best thing to do is to leave the job to logistic and storage professionals as their job is to know how to do these things. Here are some things that you need to look out for if you want to maintain the quality of your stored goods.
Temperature
Temperature plays a key role in maintaining the quality of your stored goods. Some things will last only a fraction of the time in a warm environment. So, if you can, you need to choose cold chain logistics to make sure that your items remain intact even after several months in storage.
Some of the goods that require these kinds of services are perishables such as food, but it can also go much further and has a use in storing and transporting medicine, medical technologies and even organs for organ transplantation.
Moisture
Another element that plays a significant role in maintaining the quality of your stored goods is moisture. If you are dealing with foods or other organic items, the most common recommendation is to remove moisture. Moisture may impact the structural integrity of the products. You can rule out moisture by employing movers and packers Jeddah to ensure everything is packed and shipped correctly, without any unwanted damage to the goods.
Oxygen
Some of the goods will be affected if oxygen is present and it will affect their shelf life and duration of quality. Food, for example, needs storage without oxygen as it affects it greatly. If your goods need to be stored without the presence of oxygen, you will need to hire professional help and look into warehouse Jeddah.
Light
The element of light is also important when looking into maintaining the quality of stored goods. Light is a form of energy that will degrade the value of some goods, such as food and medicine. So, keep this in mind and look for warehouses that can guarantee dark and dry conditions as not to damage the quality of your goods.
Container
You need to store specific items (such as food) in different kinds of containers to ensure optimal quality. Containers can be wooden, plastic, metal or glass and the kind you choose depends on the product you are storing. The best containers have a hermetic or an airtight seal that removes the threat of oxygen as well. Food, for instance, needs to be stored in food-grade containers. These containers do not contain any chemicals that could risk transference to food and harmful to the consumers’ health.
Non-perishable foods
There are also non-perishable foods, such as canned goods and dried fruit. These items have a long shelf life and do not require refrigeration. Non-perishable foods usually employ storage at room temperature and their quality will not diminish. So, with these items, there is no threat of going off because of the temperature. However, non-perishable foods need to be carefully transported to avoid damage or moisture entering the food. The best way to store dried items is by vacuum packaging them.
What to look out for
Now that we have covered the elements that may affect the quality of your stored goods, it is time to go through the signs or indicators of spoilage and contamination of goods. Even in the best conditions it is possible to run into items that have somehow gone off and you need to be careful or it may lead to consequences. Some of the indicators are very clear, such as the degradation of flavour, aroma, or changes in texture. Other indicators are enzymic browning, drying and hardening, crystallization. Also, be careful about mould and odour. Another clear sign is exposed packaged food through damaged packaging and infestation of animal and pest waste.
Types of food storage to maintain the quality of your stored goods
Knowing how to store different types of products is extremely important for maintaining the quality of stored goods. When it comes to food there are three types of storage options used in the industry and every type comes with advantages and disadvantages.
Dry storage
Storing items that do not need climate-controlled storage is called dry storage. Dry storage mostly involves items that have a long shelf life and are set in dry stockpiling. These are the items that you would keep in your pantry and cupboard like rice and canned goods. Dry storage items are the easiest to maintain as they do not need any special services to be consumed.
Refrigerated storage
Foods that require storage at cool (but not freezing) temperature can be defined as refrigerated storage. These foods have the smallest shelf life and are usually the hardest to transport and store as they are highly sensitive to the factors that are listed above. Some examples of refrigerated foods are butter, cheese, eggs.
Frozen storage
The last type of food storage is frozen storage, where you keep the food at a freezing temperature. This kind of storage is highly beneficial because it allows us to consume products that are not in season all year round (such as certain kinds of fruit and vegetable). This storage type has the advantage that it greatly influences the shelf life of a product, but on the other hand, it is also highly dependent on the temperature aspect.
Maintain the quality of your stored goods
Keeping the quality of your stored goods up to par is a group effort. Furthermore, it calls upon the help of professionals that know the difference regarding the storage of different types of goods. The best tip is to choose a logistic and storage company that is best set to your specific needs.
