You grab a clamshell of strawberries from the produce department.
But their trip started long before they reached the store.
Strawberries are different from some of the other fruit in the produce department.
They're picked when they're already ripe.
That means the journey from the field to your grocery cart isn't about waiting for the berry to become ready.
It's about protecting the quality that's already there.
Fresh-market strawberries are typically harvested by hand. Because they're delicate and highly perishable, careful handling begins right in the field.
After harvest, strawberries are quickly moved into cooling. Refrigerated air is pulled through the packed fruit to remove field heat and slow the loss of quality.
Once cooled, temperature control becomes critical. Refrigerated transportation helps maintain that cold environment while the berries travel toward their market.
Depending on the supply chain, berries may move through refrigerated distribution, where product is received, stored cold, and routed into orders headed for individual grocery stores.
The berries arrive at the grocery store, are received and kept cold, then make their way to the produce department.
It's to keep them that way.
That's the journey behind one ordinary clamshell in the produce department.