Fresh and Tasty: Tips to Ship Food during summer
Date: October 18th, 2019
A necessary foundation on shipped food items and Food shipping packaging
Shipped food items are any form of nourishment that move from one region to another by air, water, or road transport.
Almost all foods without preservatives are perishable commodities. This means that they go bad rather quickly. Some carriers have strict shipping policies for foodstuffs.
But packaging food well can help slow down and prevent food decay during transport. This involves the use of special containers such as cold packs for shipping food.
Why Businesses that Ship Food Must Weather the Summer Temperatures
The summer season is ideal for fun outdoor activities such as camping, mountain climbing, and even working on a tan. It is the best time for having cold food like ice cream, chocolate, and cool libations. Many people also enjoy roasting and grilling meat as they sip a cold drink.
However, the heat in this season poses a significant risk to most of the food we tend to enjoy during summer.When shipped food items are not stored in proper food shipping packaging during this season, they will go bad really quick.
The increase in heat favors the growth and multiplication of bacteria that consume food. They produce waste that gives food its rotten smell and appearance. Certain bacteria can even cause food poisoning if you eat decayed food.
How to Keep Food Items Fresh and tasty
If you want to ship food and retains its as natural content and appearance, you must use effective methods of storage. Here are some of the finest tips on how you can keep food items from going bad:
Ship the eatables as early as possible
Since foodstuffs go bad easily, you should use a priority mail delivery option. This will ensure the goods are transported as fast as possible. You should also choose the delivery day carefully.
It is best to send perishable items at the beginning of the week. If they are shipped on Thursday or Friday, they risk sitting in a warehouse the whole weekend. If you must ship during these two days consider using cold packaging for shipping food to reduce the risk of bacteria growth.
Label all packages appropriately
It is best to label your shipped food items using words such as: Urgent and perishable in large text. You can also use a colorful printed sticker to notify that the shipment requires fast delivery.
It is also essential to inform the shipping company of any additional needs of your goods. For instance, the need for refrigeration. Lastly, you must notify the recipient of the estimated time of arrival for the food items so that they can prepare to receive it.
Use proper food shipping packaging
Different types of food require various forms of packaging when they are being transported. Fragile items such as pastries should be shipped while frozen to prevent the toppings from damage.
Chocolate and seafood items are shipped using cold packs for shipping food. The package should protect against bumps and shock during transportation. Meat is to be transported either chilled or frozen.
An upcoming trend in packaging is the use of dry ice instead of ice packs. Ice packs are associated with creating moisture that may favor the growth of bacteria. Dry ice changes from a solid to a gas as temperature increases. This means it keeps food cool without forming any moisture.
However, dry ice should not be kept in an airtight container as it sublimes from solid to gas. As this happens, the volume of gas in the package increases, and it might explode.
Use proper insulation
When shipped food items are properly insulated, they lose and absorb less heat. This insulation helps to keep them at a chilled temperature for longer. It is best to use insulated shipping boxes that are moisture and shock-resistant.
The use of insulated foil bubble box liners provides both shock and insulation protection for the contents of a package. Using cold packs can help maintain the temperatures within the box and insulate from external heat.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, it is essential to time your food shipping and ensure they are well protected during transportation. This way, food items will arrive in a near fresh state that will please the consumer.
Remember, with summer heat food goes bad faster. Plan ahead and execute it accordingly to ensure everything runs smoothly. This will ensure you avoid refund requests and unsatisfied customers.