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Perspectives on global sourcing, international trade, protein markets and business growth across Central America and the Caribbean.
Why American chicken leads the Central American market
The USDA standard is not just a seal. It is a production, traceability and control system that opens doors in …
Cold chain: the backbone of protein distribution
From the plant in Delaware to the warehouse in San Salvador, maintaining −18 °C is not a detail: it is the qua…
The regional exclusivity model: beyond the generic intermediary
An exclusive representative is not an importer. It is the local operational arm of a global brand, with everyt…
110 years of Mountaire Farms: the supplier behind Mezal
From a small family operation in the 1900s to 8.2 million birds processed per week. Meet the company that prod…
Central America + Caribbean expansion: Mezal's roadmap
El Salvador and Honduras are the beginning. Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama and the Caribbean are the next step.…
USDA Certification: what it really means for your business
A practical guide on what USDA certification is, why it matters in CA markets and what competitive advantages …
Cold chain: the backbone of protein distribution
The cold chain doesn't start at the destination port. It starts at the processing plant in Delaware, the moment the chicken leaves the production line at −18 °C. Everything that happens between that moment and when the product reaches the buyer's freezer in Central America determines whether the quality promise is kept or broken.
A modern refrigerated container can maintain temperature within ±0.5 °C for weeks. But that depends on correctly palletized cargo, adequate container pre-cooling, and continuous temperature monitoring. Any break (a door left open too long at the port, a generator that fails at sea) can compromise the entire lot.
At Mezal we work exclusively with certified logistics operators with proven track records on the U.S.–Central America corridor. Every container carries temperature sensors with continuous recording. If at any point in the journey the temperature exceeds the range, we have immediate visibility and can act before the product reaches its destination.
This is not an operational luxury; it's the difference between a sustainable business and one that loses customers after the first problem. For our buyers, a guaranteed cold chain is as important as price. Because a good price with a bad cold chain is simply a product they won't be able to sell.