The cold chain is the continuous chain of temperature-controlled steps that an egg passes through from the grading floor to the buyer warehouse. It covers pre-cooling, chilled storage, a pre-cooled reefer held at a set point in transit, and prompt plug-in and discharge at the destination port. Any gap, a container left unplugged on the quay or an unrefrigerated inland leg, lets temperature rise and quality fall.
For table eggs we hold the cold chain at 5 to 8 degrees Celsius, agreed per destination, and monitor it from stuffing to discharge, with temperature records available on request. Maintaining it protects the Haugh unit, shell integrity and the full shelf life of 21 to 28 days ambient, or up to 45 days at 5 to 8 degrees Celsius. For buyers, an unbroken cold chain is what turns a long ocean lane into a non-issue: it is the single biggest factor in how fresh the eggs are on arrival.