From grove to grocery: How oranges move through the cold chain

The journey of an orange begins on a tree in a sunny grove in Chile or Peru. Once reaching the ideal ripeness, the orange is carefully harvested—often by hand—to prevent damage and protect quality from the very first touch.

But harvesting is only the beginning.

Importers, retailers and foodservice distributors know the real challenges lie in the next steps of the journey. Fresh citrus often moves thousands of miles across international borders to its final destination in produce aisles across North America. Along the way, the fruit must maintain its integrity, flavor and shelf life. Temperature control, customs documentation, port coordination and final-mile delivery all play a role in helping ensure that what starts in a South American grove arrives in peak condition on North American shelves.

Packed and ready for shipment

After harvesting, the oranges go to a packing house where they are sorted and graded based on size and quality. There they are washed, prepped and packed into boxes, to be loaded into a temperature-controlled container in preparation for international shipment.

Coordinating international movement

Behind the scenes, the Lineage freight forwarding team prepares the documentation and coordinates ocean bookings to secure passage for the oranges as they get ready to sail. Managing the customs paperwork and regulatory compliance helps ensure this important process is completed quickly and accurately so your cross-border movements are efficient and on schedule.

Arriving at the port

The oranges make their way across the sea and are imported through the Port of Savannah, GA (USA) or the Port of Philadelphia, PA (USA). With over 220 strategically placed port-centric warehouses around the world, Lineage helps reduce handoffs and keep your product moving once it lands. Upon arrival, the Lineage team coordinates customs clearance and inspection services so your fruit can transition smoothly and quickly from vessel to cold storage without compromising temperature integrity.

Drayage from port to facility

After clearing the port, your oranges make the short trip to Lineage’s Savannah Fresh – Port Wentworth or Swedesboro facility. Lineage’s coordinated drayage services help move your containers efficiently from the terminal to cold storage, minimizing dwell time and maintaining temperature integrity during the critical transition from vessel to warehouse.

Cool, calm and collected

Once at the Lineage facility, the oranges are stored at designated Fresh facility, where we maintain multiple unique temperature zones. Here, fruits and vegetables can be stored at 38 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent spoilage. The cold storage helps to slow down the ripening process, helping ensure the oranges maintain their freshness before the final leg of their journey.

Tailored for retail

Orders are placed by importers for retail customers. Our team makes sure the oranges are bagged and packaged to the customer’s exact specifications using Lineage’s food manufacturing and re-pack services.

Delivering freshness, every step of the way

From a sunlit orchard in Chile or Peru to produce sections across North America, oranges depend on a carefully managed cold chain. Every transition—from packing house to vessel, port to warehouse, warehouse to truck—plays a role in protecting quality and preserving shelf life.

For importers and retailers, success is about more than transportation. It requires coordinated services, inspection readiness, temperature control and visibility across international movement. When each link in the chain works together, product arrives fresher, moves faster and reaches consumers as intended.

That’s the difference a connected cold chain can make—helping move the world’s food efficiently, reliably and with care.