The number of middle class people is constantly growing due to the increased mobility options as well as wider choices for better paying jobs. This has led to a tendency for improved purchasing power and a greater demand for fresh produce as compared to frozen products. The freight forwarders Europe are working on adding more vehicles for the transport of fresh products which can maintain suitable temperatures and conditions for the products during the shipment.
The main producers of fresh vegetables and fruit in Europe
Fruits and vegetables are among the top purchased products in Europe due to their health and taste qualities. The member companies of the European network for logistics services are increasing their numbers and volumes of forwarding services from the countries producing vegetables and fruits to all other destinations throughout Europe as follows:
- Strawberries – mainly from Spain, as well as from Poland and Germany
- Apples – from Italy and Poland
- Peaches – from Greece, Italy and Spain
- Cherries – from Poland, Italy, Greece, Spain and Bulgaria
- Tomatoes and zucchini – from Spain and Italy
- Cucumbers – mainly from Poland, Netherlands and Spain
- Carrots – from Poland, Netherlands, Germany and other countries
The main meat producers in Europe
Pork is the meat product at highest demand in Europe. In order to meet this demand, the international freight forwarders association provides transport from the main producers of meat in Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands to the rest of the countries.
Other types of meat are also in demand due to the growing affluence of the European population and the increased interest in the consumption of wild game, seafood and other products. Cultivated mussels are also becoming very popular among buyers throughout Europe, They can be prepared and consumed in various forms and the ongoing quality control in the mussel farms guarantees their cleanliness and safety. Ireland is among the leaders in the production of mussels, along with many Eastern European countries which have started producing cultivated mussels and exporting them in frozen, cooled and fresh form.
The main dairy producers
France, Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany are among the top producers of dairy products which are in high demand throughout Europe due to their high calcium content and taste qualities. These products include various types of milk, cheese and others. The European network for transportation is in charge of forwarding the dairy products to various retailers and stores in different European destinations, in order to provide easy access to the various national specialties to more people in the continent.
The transport of fresh produce
In order to preserve the quality of the fresh food products, the international freight forwarders use special containers which allow for continuous temperature control and monitoring. Apart from the appropriate temperature levels another important factor for forwarding fresh food products are the short delivery terms. They can be achieved through the express delivery services provided by IFA through the close cooperation among the member companies for combining two or more transport types, using inter-modal transport and for finding the best and shortest routes for the shipments.
Cross docking for quick delivery of fresh produce
The use of cross docking is essential for the quick delivery of fresh food products to an increasing number of European destinations. The cross docking implemented by the international freight forwarders network allows for fast and seamless redistribution of the products at the cross docking centers for their different end destinations. This allows for the fastest and safest delivery of these products to all required destinations.