During the International Flower Trade Expo (IFTEX) recently held in Nairobi, Kenya, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) became the first airline group to receive FlowerWatch accreditation.
FlowerWatch accreditation is based on a Quality Assurance system, which operates using a ‘time temperature exposure’ measure to calculate how much vase life is reduced during transportation and sale.
AFKLMP was awarded accreditation for flowers shipped from Nairobi to Schiphol.
Eric Mauroux, AFKLMP Global Head of Perishables Logistics, said: “Like the pharmaceuticals sector, where steps have been taken to comply with manufacturers requirements, we recognise the necessity for the floriculture sector of moving towards a more efficient cool chain based on the key drivers of effective collaboration, innovation and data-sharing in order to comply with growers', importers' and retailers' requirements.
“We are strongly committed to maintaining our position as a front-runner in the temperature-sensitive market. By continuously improving and investing in our cool chain, we are leading the industry by example, encouraging all actors to comply with food safety requirements, to increase shelf life and improve consumer experience.
"To support this ambition, we have launched a Cool Chain Programme with the objective of innovating our cool chain by focusing on infrastructure, processes, digital and IT, with dedication and supervision, as well as apron transportation.
“FlowerWatch is an innovative way for us to access our flower flow based on time-temperature exposure throughout the chain. This is another step towards standardisation, which improves the vase life of the flowers we carry out of Kenya. This accreditation is also a great achievement for all the stakeholders who embarked on this improvement programme with us. We expect more AFKLMP Cargo fresh-flower stations of origin (e.g. Quito and Bogotá) to become FlowerWatch certified in the coming months.”
On a yearly basis, AFKLMP Cargo ships approximately 18,000 tonnes of fresh flowers from Kenya to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
