Speakers at the Transfrigoroute UK annual general meeting highlighted issues food safety and logistics issues this week.

Joe Van Damme of transport-company Chereau told conference delegates that his company had developed a method of improving air flow in reefer trailers.

The firm has built larger containers - 200mm longer – in order to reduce the risk of hot spots in temperature-controlled loads.

And Dr Mark Woolfe of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) informed participants that his organisation was pushing for a reduction of food-borne disease in transport vessels by 20 per cent over the next five years. But the target for the reduction of salmonella is 50 per cent by April 2005.

Woolfe stressed the importance of harmonising temperature control standards throughout Europe, and said a European standard for temperature recorders has been introduced.

He added that comparisons should made between hot spots occurring in traditional reefer trailers and those with an extra 200mm. These results could be used to make a case to the council of minister in Brussels in favour of increasing the maximum length of a trailer to 13.8m, he said.