Most commercial food preparation businesses use cold rooms to store their products and maintain the cold chain. But if you’re just starting out or need to expand your cold room capacity it can be difficult to know which type to choose.
Under food hygiene law there are certain guidelines that you must follow when dealing with chilled or frozen products. The Food Standards Agency provides guidance for businesses, and understanding this legislation is key to keeping your business within the law. Failure to do so can result in fines and even being closed down.
So, what are the types of commercial cold rooms available to food preparation businesses, and how do they differ?
Walk-in
The main advantage of these types of Commercial Cold Rooms is simply size. It allows you to store a much larger quantity of products and also be able to access them more easily. Some are big enough to allow staff to use pallet wheels and trollies inside, which can make moving and storing stock much easier and safer. It will allow for more garage shelving from websites like https://www.garage-shelving.co.uk inside to which is good for keeping your produce in order.
Industrial
Similar to the walk-in, industrial cold rooms allow for huge amounts of stock to be held. This is particularly useful if your stock is bulky or where you need a large amount of storage. Because they can be accessed by fork lift trucks you can also store upright, utilising the entire head space within the cold room.
Combi
Comprising both a cold room and freezer compartments, a combi can be the perfect solution for a business that needs both but doesn’t have space for two separate appliances.
Modular
Probably the most popular in the food industry as the panels are made from materials which are suitable for storing foodstuff, and they are also easily cleaned.
Custom-built
If you require commercial cold rooms that are very specific to your needs, you might need to invest in a custom-built solution. But like any custom-built product it will likely be more expensive; however, it will meet your exact needs and allow you to choose the features that work best for your business.
Whichever type you choose for your business you must ensure that strict procedures are in place to ensure that the temperature within your cold rooms is maintained within the appropriate limits and that you keep records to show this.
