McLane to Deliver New Fresh Food Program

TEMPLE, Texas -- In an effort to address consumer demand for more fresh food options, McLane Co. Inc. will launch a nationwide FRESH on the GO food program on Feb. 2, for its U.S. convenience store customers.

FRESH on the GO takes advantage of McLane’s cold chain solution and gives retailers the option to stock a wide variety of fresh products at competitive prices, including yogurts, fruits, cheeses and ready-to-eat salads, the company stated.

"Our customers are excited about the ability to offer the types of fresh products that better match today’s consumer tastes and healthy lifestyles," Tony Frankenberger, vice president of merchandising, said in a statement. "With FRESH on the GO, retailers can now easily offer a wide range of fresh products at the lowest possible cost without being tied to fixed order quantities and inflexible product selection. It’s a win-win."

To ensure the products are fresh, orders made through the program arrive at McLane’s warehouse just before each regular delivery, according to the company. In addition, FRESH on the GO’s product selection includes small case packs and/or single-sell solutions when practical. Moreover, retailers can select the products that match their customers' preferences, and the wholesaler also offers a range of equipment to promote the products in the program, such as "air-curtain" technology designed to promote impulse purchases, the company stated.

The FRESH on the GO solution addresses critical challenges associated with perishable goods distribution, such as product freshness, food safety, and proper temperature storage and transport throughout the delivery cycle, the company stated. To make the program possible, McLane invested more than $1 billion in a nationwide supply chain infrastructure that includes its custom cold chain solution, the company stated. The system is made up of:

-- 20 automated distribution centers across the U.S.;

-- More than 8 million square feet of warehouse space with more than 2.5 million combined square feet of refrigerated and frozen space;

-- A fleet of 2,000 multi-temperature trailers;

-- Custom cold chain systems, procedures and documentation to ensure product integrity and safety throughout supply chain, including loading/unloading, verification, sorting, storage, transport and presentation;

-- Comprehensive, multi-step monitoring process that measures, records and validates temperatures in loading docks, distribution centers, during transit and upon delivery; and,

-- Third-party food safety endorsement from Silliker Inc., of the entire cold chain system, procedures and documentation process.
X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds