World Courier launches China Cold Chain Network

In its most aggressive regional expansion initiative to date, World Courier has extended its network within China to 36 major cities, now offering cold chain transport services for biological specimens, investigational drugs and supplies to every clinical trial location currently approved by the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration.

"China is poised to become the fourth largest pharmaceutical market by 2012," said Henning Voss, director for World Courier, North Asia.

"With our new operational network in place, we look forward to helping pharmaceutical companies, central labs and clinical research organizations improve their supply chain efficiencies in this vital, but complex country."

Temperature-controlled shipments can now be handled directly between the following cities: Beijing, Changchun, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Hohhot, Jinan, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lhasa, Nanchang, Nanjing, Nanning, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shantou, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Taiyun, Tianjin, Urumqi, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xiamen, Xi'an, Zhengzhou and Zhuhai.

"China presents many infrastructure challenges for temperature-controlled and clinical trial shipments," said Voss.

"In addition, domestic transport companies do not yet fully understand the many international standards at play in handling these types of shipments. As such, the real concerns and requirements of major pharmaceutical clients in China have not been adequately addressed until now."

In the mainland hospitality industry, cold chain distribution has also been a huge stumbling block for large western fast food outlets that are forced to set up their own exclusive networks.

McDonald's and KFC have the two best operating networks, and in April, Yum! Restaurants China opened a 12,000 sq m distribution centre to provide cold chain distribution services to more than 400 stores in Guangzhou and surrounding cities.

Yum! China - the subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc, the world's biggest restaurant company - runs more than 2,000 KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut chains and has 16 distribution centres in the country. It plans to open 300 stores in the mainland this year and has little option but to establish its own cold chain network.

With the rapid growth in hotels, supermarkets and convenience stores, and the urbanization of its citizens, the need for a safe, chilled and frozen food delivery system in China is reaching crisis point.

Mass food poisonings are regularly reported but unless safety laws are rigorously enforced nationwide - and small distributors miraculously come into large sums of money to buy new reefer trucks - there is little that can be done to improve the quality of fresh and frozen food.