air and sea perishable cargo

*Perishable cargo* = Goods that can spoil, decay, or lose quality if not handled right during transit. Time, temperature, and humidity are everything. *Common examples* - *Food*: Fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy, bakery - *Flowers & plants*: Roses, orchids, saplings - *Pharma*: Vaccines, insulin, some biologics - *Other*: Chocolate, wine, certain chemicals *How sea freight forwarders handle perishables* *1. Reefer Containers - "Refers"* Temperature-controlled containers. Most common for sea. - *Temp range*: -30°C to +30°C - *Types*: Chilled for fruits/veg 0°C to 5°C, Frozen for meat/seafood -18°C to -25°C - *Humidity control*: Many reefers control 60%-95% RH for produce/flowers - *Air circulation + ventilation*: To remove ethylene gas from fruits *2. Special services* - *Pre-cooling*: Cargo must be pre-cooled before stuffing. Don’t use reefer to "freeze" warm cargo - *Cold chain tracking*: Real-time temp/humidity data loggers, GPS - *Priority handling*: Fast customs clearance, priority loading/unloading to reduce dwell time - *Genset*: Generator set for trucking so temp is maintained door-to-port *3. Documentation & compliance* - *Phytosanitary Certificate* for plants/fruits - *Health Certificate* for meat/seafood/dairy - *Import permits* - US FDA, EU, etc are strict - *COO* - Certificate of Origin for duty benefit.