How to Ship Perishable Foods

SHIPPING PERISHABLE FOODS IS AS EASY AS PIE!

Tired of joking with your grand-kids who’ve gone off to college that you’ll send them your best homemade pies that they love so much?

Ever actually wish that, in reality, you could send a loved one some of your specialty baked goods because they’re longing for some of your great home-cooking — or perhaps, you just wish they could try out your newest, best recipe? Are you’re hesitant to do so because the food might expire before reaching its destination?

Perhaps you may even need a glorious birthday cake for a friend or family member that can only be ordered from grandmother’s house

Maybe you’re even a business that makes cakes for birthdays and weddings and you want to find out how to expand your company to other parts of the country so that others may enjoy your delicious product.

Well, worry no more, ladies and gentlemen! Shipping something so delicate need not be such a complicating ordeal!

Shipping perishable foods is as easy as knowing just two words: Insulation and Refrigeration.

With insulation and refrigeration, it’s now possible to ship any food item you wish. From products such as meat, fruits and vegetables, to dairy, and even seafood.

Anything you wish to send to that special someone so they can finally enjoy some of your most delicious items has been made unbelievably simpler!

With just the inclusion of two key materials, it’s possible and easier than ever to send a delicious baked meal or dessert to someone who may even be living clear across the country.

You may wonder: why would someone even think about eating something in a package that was delivered cross-country?

Well, the answer is: if the package is shipped in a timely manner in consideration of the perishable limitations of the consumable good, and if the recipient receives the package within 30 hours or less via priority or 1 day delivery, it would still be very fresh to consume within that window!

You may then also ask: how does insulation and refrigeration work or why is it so important?

Insulation

For starters, insulation is recommended to keep your goods at its desired temperature. It decreases the chances of transferring too much unwanted heat in and out of the package as its being delivered. This ensures that the product stays at a cool, desired temperature.

The most useful methods used for package insulation are:

• Expanded polystyrene foam (or EPS foam for short)

• Polyurethane foam

• Radiant barrier films

Ask about these common insulation materials at your shipping dealer.

Refrigeration

In addition to insulation’s, refrigeration help keep your goods stay cold or frozen as is necessary for the period it’ll undertake during its delivery.

Refrigerants are even easier, all you need to do is ask your shipping dealer about these two materials:

• Gel coolants

• Dry ice

As a simple general rule of thumb, keep refrigerated products cool with gel coolants as the refrigerant and keep frozen products frozen with dry ice as the refrigerant. Note: for live seafood or similar products, use only gel coolants.

With insulation and refrigeration in tow, now it’s time to take a look at the following short guideline to ensure proper packaging and food safety:

• A good rule of thumb to follow when packaging your goods with insulation is to create a wall surrounding the item that is at least 1.5 inches thick.

• For products that will likely melt, thaw, or anything which may contain liquid, be sure to place it inside watertight plastic bags that are at least 2 milliliters thick.

• To further improve foam insulation, it’s recommended to provide a sturdy container to encapsulate the entire package.

• Expedite the shipment in order to save time and food quality. Many shipping services provide overnight shipment, priority overnight, standard overnight, or one day freight.

• Shipping recommendation for perishables is a transit time of a minimum of 30 hours.

• Please note that most shipping service providers do not recommend shipping perishable goods using 2 day express freights, however, if you should choose to then the inclusion of better insulation and refrigeration materials are highly advised.

• Also note the holidays and weekends before you plan to ship your package to ensure there won’t be any delays with the delivery.

• Check with your shipping service on their rules regarding seafood perishables, generally seafood perishables will only be accepted for shipment within the U.S.

• It may be important to note also that the package must not exceed 150lbs (including insulation and refrigeration materials), however, weight limitations may vary slightly according to shipping service.

• Finally, perhaps the most easy and also the most important rule, include an address and a phone number of both the shipper and the recipient on all shipping labels.

Best of all, to ensure quality results, be sure to insure your package with PackageFox to arrive on time or receive a shipping refund if it’s late! Especially when it comes to perishable goods of this delicate nature, you’ll definitely want to make sure your package arrives on schedule! Whether you ordered from UPS or FedEx. PackageFox will handle the necessary submission process so you don’t have to. All you have to do is sign up for an account with us and provide your shipping account credentials and tracking number of your packages!

Don’t let the “small” obstruction of distance trouble you any longer when all it is you wish to do is put a smile on that special someone’s face with your amazing food — whether home cooked or otherwise — we all know that sometimes the best way to bring back the most beautiful thoughts of home and quickly cure homesickness is to be able to once again taste the foods from our fondest childhood memories.