The origins of the cold chain: from natural ice to modern isothermal packaging

No, this photo isn’t a fake – it’s the ancestors of our icepacks!

Two women carrying a block of ice weighing several dozen kilos can only confirm that our working conditions and quality of life have improved steadily over the last century.

This photo is chilling! Historically, ice trading has been a difficult business, since ice is only of natural origin, harvested from the surface of frozen ponds and rivers. It is stored in iceboxes before being transported by ship or train to customers all over the world. This trade revolutionized the food industry. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th century that ice was manufactured artificially.