The Port of New Orleans and Lineage Inc., a provider of temperature-controlled warehousing and integrated transportation solutions, are announcing newly added services for the global food supply chain. In-house USDA import inspections will now take place at Lineage’s Jourdan Road cold storage facility in New Orleans East. I-Houses, or import houses, are facilities that specialize in streamlined, on-site USDA inspection services for imported proteins. The new import service complements Lineage’s existing USDA export inspection services at its Jourdan Road facility.

Lineage has two cold storage facilities at the Port of New Orleans. One is located at the Henry Clay Avenue Wharf in Uptown New Orleans. The other cold storage complex is located on Jourdan Road in New Orleans East along the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal.

Lineage entered the New Orleans market in 2020 by acquiring New Orleans Cold Storage as part of its acquisition of Emergent Cold. New Orleans Cold Storage was the oldest cold storage operator in North America, founded in 1885. In 2021, a $42 million expansion of Lineage’s Jourdan Road facility was announced, growing from 160,000 square feet to 304,000 square feet. The project was completed in 2022. Additionally, through state of Louisiana and Port NOLA funding, an approximately $20 million investment in infrastructure updates is also being made to the Jourdan Road facility. Shipments from the cold storage facilities of Lineage draw upon multiple Louisiana poultry producers including hatcheries, feed mills, broiler complexes and processing plants.

“In addition to the new import services, we also continue to appreciate the value-added exports of Lineage that strengthen Louisiana’s $1.6 billion poultry industry, including nearly 300 commercial broiler producers throughout 11 parishes,” said Port NOLA President & CEO and New Orleans Public Belt Railroad CEO, Beth Branch. “We look forward to expanding our partnership with Lineage to continue to be a key player in the global food supply chain.”

Lineage’s two cold storage facilities at the Port of New Orleans offer multiple services including blast freezing as well as integrated transportation supply chain solutions.

“Streamlined inspection services are crucial for products like meat and poultry, which require 100% USDA inspection before hitting the market. Having this capability onsite helps get these products to market quickly and efficiently while meeting all regulatory requirements,” said Brian Beattie, Lineage president, Western US operations. “The Port of New Orleans and its strategic location are critical to helping feed the country and the world. Lineage hopes to bring additional business to New Orleans and serve customers importing beef, pork, exotic meats, and various seafood products with our new I-House capabilities.”

Sources: Lineage; Port NOLA