Six years after research proved that maintaining cool temperatures is the single most important factor in maximizing flower life, more and more suppliers are looking for ways to live by proper "cold chain" protocols.

The International Floral Distributors (IFD), a group of 24 wholesale distributors, established a “Cold Chain Initiative” in 2006 and recently gave seven “Cold Chain Partner Awards” to growers for their consistent performance within the temperature specifications.

Award recipients, which include domestic and international growers, as well as shippers, are Armellini Industries, Koch California Ltd., MIA Perishables Center, Prime Floral, Ocean View Flowers, Pyramid Flowers and The Sun Valley Group.

"There are no procedural standards to measure temperature within the industry, so all the companies in the industry make their own protocols," says Jeff Lanman, executive director of IFD, about why IFD came up with temperature standards. "We're trying to develop specifications to live by."

IFD tracks weekly temperature reports and provides feedback to the growers and shippers.

The 4-year, Endowment-funded temperature study, conducted by Drs. Terril Nell, AAF, of the University of Florida-Gainesville, and Michael Reid of the University of California-Davis, found that 33F to 35F is the optimum temperature for keeping flowers from the grower to the consumer, and that flower life is reduced dramatically with each degree increase in temperature.

IFD’s “Cold Chain Initiative” initially set 44F as a temperature goal for flower boxes when they arrive at “logistic partners”, with the goal of gradually moving closer to the 35F optimum target. In March 2007, IFD lowered that target to 40F.

"Keeping the product at [lower] temperature impacts the quality the consumers receive," Lanman says.

Delaware Valley Wholesale Florist also takes temperature controls seriously and recently reminded its suppliers that Delaware Valley could refuse product that is over 44-degrees.

Delaware Valley began the initiative in 2005, when they announced it would closely monitor — and in some cases turn down — boxes of California flowers they consider too hot for the cold chain.

Kurt Schroeder, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, director of marketing for Delaware Valley, says when the company first began the initiative suppliers did pay attention, and there was some rejection of product because of non-compliance. Then in April 2007, Delaware Valley noticed some of the growers were once again becoming lax on temperature control.

“It was waning away and the wheels had started to fall off the cart,” Schroeder says about why they sent out a reminder. “All the wholesalers, growers and retailers are caretakers for products so they’ll last longer in consumers’ homes.”