Storage and Warehousing

Storage and warehousing facilitates the preservation, management, and distribution of food commodities between producers and consumers. Food is highly perishable, and the proper storage and handling helps protect food from deterioration, and biological and chemical hazards, which can lead to waste. The efficient operation of storage and warehousing is a critical food security and food safety issue because these sites serve as control points for commodity chains from local sites within nations to international trade. Storage facilities include a wide variety of structures, such [Page 1307]as grain elevators for bulk agricultural products such as wheat, corn, and rice; cold storage for frozen foods and produce; and flat warehouses for packaged products stored on pallets. Warehousing is the operation of a storage facility and can include ...