News

Apr 10, 2026 - Foods

Violationofcoldchain: Unrefrigeratedmeattransportstoppedduringinspection

During a traffic stop near Bad Oeynhausen, the Herford police stopped a van transporting frozen chicken from Belgium to Berlin. According to the German Press Agency (dpa), the vehicle initially attracted attention on suspicion of being overloaded. However, during the subsequent inspection, officers discovered a much more serious deficiency: the van had no refrigeration system. Temperatures of around 15 degrees Celsius were measured in the cargo area - a clear violation of the required cold chain for perishable food products.

Products such as poultry are particularly susceptible to microbiological contamination and must be consistently transported under refrigeration. If the cold chain is interrupted, germs can quickly multiply and pose a significant health risk to consumers. Nevertheless, the current case illustrates that basic requirements for storage and transport are not always adequately observed.

There is often uncertainty in practice about which foods are considered perishable and what temperature requirements must be met. Proper training in the field of operational hygiene and food safety is therefore essential. The BAV Institute offers practical and accessible solutions for this with its online hygiene training available in 14 languages. The goal is to raise awareness of risks and improve compliance with legal requirements throughout the supply chain.

The incident once again emphasizes the central importance of a seamless cold chain — from transport to storage and processing — to reliably ensure food safety.

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