The growth of the frozen food market in Mexico is bringing new demands to the last mile , where maintaining the temperature throughout the journey becomes one of the main challenges to avoid affecting the quality and safety of the products, according to Esteban Cohen, general director of Vima Foods Mexico .
The transition from fresh to frozen foods is beginning to gain ground in different categories, a trend that, in addition to modifying consumption habits, requires a logistics chain prepared to preserve the conditions of the product from its origin to the final point of delivery.
Cohen specifically identified the professionalization of last-mile delivery as one of the challenges that accompany this growth.
“With regard to transportation, it is precisely about professionalizing the last mile distribution, ensuring that the product reaches the operator at the right temperature and with the appropriate quality,” he explained.
The challenge arises primarily during delivery. Cohen noted that there are still operations where the trucks begin their routes with frozen product, but the product loses temperature as the hours pass and they make deliveries .
In the case of Vima, he explained, the products are kept between -18 and -21 degrees Celsius during the logistics process , as part of the controls established to preserve their condition.
Temperature under surveillance
Environmental variations represent another factor that refrigerated transport must face. Goods may enter the country under certain conditions and experience different outside temperatures before reaching a distribution center or the customer.
Cohen cited as an example the operations that enter through Manzanillo , where the outside temperature can be around 27 degrees Celsius, while the product must maintain its conditions during transport.
To track this variable, the units used by the company have GPS and temperature monitoring systems , while the loads are “thermographed during the logistics process,” he emphasized.
The complexity is also related to the different points of origin. Vima Mexico sources frozen food from Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States , a strategy that diversifies its supply across different regions.
The last mile extends to third parties
Cold chain control doesn’t end with the operations carried out directly by companies. When distributors are involved, the challenge also lies in maintaining the same parameters throughout the final leg.
To serve the hotel sector, Vima operates its own fleet of approximately 50 vehicles, delivering to over 500 hotels. Nationwide, it also has a network of 50 distributors, all of whom must adhere to the company’s same transportation and cold chain standards.
Currently, the company has three distribution centers and serves different channels, including retail , food service and hotel chains, with operations in destinations such as Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita, Los Cabos, Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula.
The logistical challenge could become more significant as demand increases. Cohen noted that in categories like fruits and vegetables, the frozen food market is experiencing annual growth of between 5% and 8% , while he observes a shift towards this type of product in other categories.
In this scenario, the growth of frozen foods not only opens up space to move a larger volume of products, but also puts pressure on the last mile capacity to maintain an uninterrupted cold chain to the final destination.
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