What is the Baby leaf salad cold chain?

The Baby leaf salads, their crunchiness and delicate taste make them some of the most popular salads. However, keeping them fresh and in perfect condition until consumption requires an impeccable management plan. This is where a key element comes into play: the cold chain.

This process guarantees that the Baby leaf salads are stored at the ideal temperatures throughout the supply chain, from harvest to distribution, safeguarding flavour, freshness and nutritional values.

Let’s take a look at how the cold chain works and why it’s essential for our Baby leaf salads.

The cold chain is an indispensable logistical system used to keep fresh food in the best possible condition, maintaining the temperatures required to prevent it from deteriorating.

The cold chain is supported by the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) an essential tool that identifies critical points throughout the entire chain along with potential sources of contamination, implementing preventive measures to ensure food safety and product quality.

In the case of Baby leaf salads, the ideal temperature is between 0 and 4°C. Keeping the temperature within this range is crucial to maintaining:

• the leaves crisp and fresh
• correct nutritional properties, such as vitamins and minerals
• food safety levels, reducing the risk of bacterial proliferation

Immediately after the harvest stage, Baby leaf salads are transferred to specially equipped facilities to start a rapid cooling process.

This initial step is essential to stabilise the interior temperature of the leaves and slow their natural degradation process.

Next, the Baby leaf salads undergo:

• Temperature controlled storage in refrigerated warehouses
• Refrigerated transport using specific temperature-controlled vehicles
• Distribution at the point of sale

OP Isola Verde pays significant attention to ensure that all of these phases are carried out correctly to ensure consumers receive fresh, safe and genuine products that respect the highest quality standards.

Baby leaf salads are particularly delicate salads and the absence or interruption of the cold chain can cause:

• Loss of texture and quality: the leaves turn soft and unappetising.
• Changes in colour and flavour: the bright green and fresh taste deteriorate.
• Risk of contamination: inadequate temperatures encourage bacteria proliferation.

This is why at OP Isola Verde we are committed to strictly respecting every phase of the cold chain, making sure our products arrive on your tables in the best possible condition.

The quality of Baby leaf salads is not limited to cultivation, as it also depends on careful and responsible handling of every post-harvest stage.

Thanks to the cold chain, we can deliver fresh and genuine Baby leaf salads with all their properties intact.