Cold chain - Articles

Blue semi trucks and semi trailers stand in row hardly near the warehouse gate under loading and unloading process.

Operation Technologies

Keep milk moving: How to efficiently streamline dairy distribution

Cold storage, refrigerated trucks and advanced AI help dairy processors deliver.

June 12, 2026

The dairy industry faces a complex challenge in moving products from farm to fork, with a growing demand for cheese and frozen items amid shifting consumption trends. Efficient distribution and strict safety standards are key to meeting this evolving landscape and ensuring quality delivery.

Global Cold Chain Alliance leadership team

Global Cold Chain Alliance announces leadership team

May 18, 2026

Following bylaw updates that consolidate governance into a single, unified GCCA Board, this leadership class steps in at a moment of significant evolution.

Membrane Technology: Improving Dairy Product Shelf Life

Membrane filtration helps processors extend shelf life of milk, cheese and other dairy products without compromising flavor or quality.

Sammy Bredar

March 23, 2026

Longer shelf life depends on the full extended shelf life chain: membranes, heat treatment, hygienic processing and precise cold storage.

Global Cold Chain Alliance announces convention keynote speakers

March 2, 2026

For the first time since 2019, GCCA will host its Convention in the spring.

Shelves and pallets full of products in the Smith Brothers Farm distribution center.

Inside the Plant

Delivery is big business for Smith Brothers Farms

Company milk delivery drivers maintain “legendary” status in the local area.

Brian Berk

January 28, 2026

Our trip to Smith Brothers Farms included two stops: one was a visit to the Kent, Wash., plant, where the company processes milk. Following this visit, we traveled 20 minutes to Federal Way, Wash., to check out the company’s distribution center, the origin of all Smith Brothers Farms’ home delivery services, which is the pillar of many communities.

Left to right: Smith Brothers Farms CEO Dusty Highland, Vice President Todd Behan, Chief Growth Officer and Head of Home Delivery Michelle Hunt and Craig Koester posing in front a delivery truck.

Processor Profile: Smith Brothers Farms

Smith Brothers Farms’ unique business model delivers daily to customers

One-hundred-five-year-old company is much more than just a milk processor.

Brian Berk

January 19, 2026

From 1905 to the 1990s, home delivery was common for dairy processors, but popularity declined as customers turned to supermarkets. While many manufacturers focused solely on processing, Smith Brothers Farms maintained its delivery service and remains strong today, despite competition from Amazon and Costco nearby.

Global Cold Chain Alliance Convention to revert to pre-pandemic April date

September 24, 2025

The 2026 event will be hosted April 27-29, 2026, at the Scottsdale Grand Hyatt Resort in Arizona.

Global Cold Chain Alliance event to return next month

August 21, 2025

GCCA Convention 2025 will offer attendees thought-provoking keynote sessions delivered by global business leaders; a range of focus sessions exploring today’s primary temperature-controlled logistics challenges and opportunities; the dynamic Cold Chain Café roundtable; a future-facing Innovation Showcase; and multiple networking receptions and activities.

Sustainability impacts secondary packaging

The latest innovations in materials, machinery and sustainability are shaping how secondary packaging supports the growing demands of dairy processors.

Bobby Douglas

July 9, 2025

Dairy packaging has long been defined by its complexity. Moisture sensitivity, cold chain logistics and product variety all combine to make it one of the most technically demanding sectors in the food industry.