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Selling Refrigerated Products Through Foodservice: Cold Chain, Shelf Life and Broadline Distribution
Refrigerated, clean-label products move mostly through foodservice, not retail. This paper covers how the cold chain works, how shelf life shapes planning, and why broadline distributors are the natural path to market.
Ross Taylor · 8 min read
TL;DR
- Refrigerated culinary-first products sell mainly through foodservice, not retail.
- Sysco, US Foods, Ben E. Keith, Gordon Food Service and PFG all support cold storage and refrigerated delivery.
- Shelf life depends on formula, packaging and temperature control, so runs are planned around how fast product moves.
- Products ship in form-fill bags made for walk-in storage and back-of-house use.
What you'll take away
- How the cold chain works from production to the walk-in cooler
- What drives shelf life and how it affects ordering
- Why foodservice, not retail, is the primary channel
- The broadliners that support cold storage and delivery
- How to plan production runs around demand
Questions & answers
Major broadliners including Sysco, US Foods, Ben E. Keith, Gordon Food Service and Performance Food Group (PFG) support refrigerated storage and delivery.
Kitchens already have walk-in coolers, receive refrigerated deliveries often and use product quickly, which suits shorter refrigerated dating.
The formula, the packaging and how consistently the product is kept cold from production to the kitchen.
Match run size to real sales speed, forecast with your distributor and plan seasonal items months ahead.
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