4 REGIONAL — 4.1 EUROPE

The main contributors to the growth of the cold chain include advances in the supermarket and convenience store segments, the increasing quantity of frozen foods traded by international manufacturers, and rising exports of perishable and processed foods. Overall growth was bolstered by advances in new types of food retailing, such as fast food and diversified food retail strategies. Some countries are positively adopting refrigeration equipment capable of retaining food quality from farm to fork, through all stages, from production and storage to transport, avoiding freezing processes that can affect the appearance and taste of foodstuffs.