Receiving frozen treats or savory meals in perfect condition is a delightful experience. However, this joy vanishes if the sender doesn’t know How Can You Ship Frozen Food properly, resulting in a thawed, spoiled mess.
Shipping frozen foods across the country requires careful consideration of potential hazards and available options. The goal is to protect the food, maintain its frozen state, and ensure timely delivery. At Red Stag Fulfillment, we’ve gained considerable experience shipping various products. We’ve consulted our in-house experts and information from major carriers to provide a comprehensive guide on how can you ship frozen food to prevent spoilage and customer disappointment.
Key Considerations for Shipping Frozen Foods
When considering how can you ship frozen food, the primary objective is to ensure its safe arrival in a consumable or sellable condition. This involves maintaining the correct temperature throughout the shipping process and having a readily available storage solution at the destination. Frozen foods and other perishables present consistent challenges, and addressing each one with a specific plan before shipping is essential.
Temperature Management
Maintaining the correct temperature is crucial when thinking about how can you ship frozen food. Your frozen goods need to stay within specific temperature ranges to prevent spoilage. These temperatures vary depending on the food item and can differ between SKUs and shipments. You have several options for maintaining temperatures, depending on the size of your shipment.
For large shipments, using refrigerated trucks (reefer trucks) is a viable option. These trucks maintain consistent temperatures over long distances. For smaller shipments, temperature control relies on ice, gel packs, and insulated packaging.
Regulatory temperature requirements may apply depending on the goods and shipping methods. You may need to include sensors to ensure that the appropriate temperature levels are maintained throughout transit. This is particularly important in the food industry, where maintaining the cold chain is critical.
Humidity Control
In addition to temperature, humidity also affects your ability to keep food frozen. Moisture can promote bacteria and mildew growth, leading to food thawing or spoilage. Different foods require different humidity levels for optimal storage and preservation. Matching the humidity levels to the food’s specific needs during transportation and storage is essential.
Packaging and Damage Prevention
Packaging plays a significant role in how can you ship frozen food successfully. Proper packaging helps maintain temperature and humidity levels. Insulated boxes, foam containers, strong tape, and cold packs create a secure seal to protect internal temperatures and keep items frozen. Seals should be leak-proof but not airtight to allow for safe venting of gas from evaporating dry ice.
Strong, reinforced packaging is also essential to prevent damage. This prevents the box from breaking and letting warm air inside. Durable materials can withstand minor impacts without breaking the seal or puncturing the package, keeping the contents frozen during transit.
Best Practices for Shipping Frozen Foods
Before examining carrier-specific considerations for how can you ship frozen food, here are some general guidelines and tips to prepare your order, whether you’re sending frozen peas to a family member or running a food subscription box service:
- Identify Specific Needs: Clearly understand and document the specific requirements of your food items.
- Explore Carrier Options: Research various carriers to determine their available options for shipping frozen foods.
- Prioritize Fast Shipping: Ship items as quickly as possible to minimize the time spent in transit and reduce the need for extreme temperature control.
- Match Packaging to Needs: Use appropriate packaging and materials based on the specific needs of your items (more details below).
- Proper Storage: Ensure correct storage of foods before shipping and confirm that the recipient can store them properly upon arrival.
- Labeling and Notices: Label shipments appropriately and include necessary notices, such as hazardous materials labels for dry ice.
- Internal Protection: Protect foods from the inside of the box. For example, wrap goods in plastic before placing them in a container with dry ice.
Packaging Materials: A Detailed Guide
Packaging for how can you ship frozen food needs to address several factors. These requirements will vary depending on the specific foods and whether you are shipping a single package or in bulk. Never fully wrap dry ice, as the released carbon dioxide can cause an explosion if it cannot expand.
Here are some general best practices:
- Insulated Boxes: Choose insulated boxes or add foam for insulation.
- Sturdy Containers: Consider sturdy, insulated foam containers similar to coolers used for camping.
- Snug Fit: Use a box that creates a snug fit for the contents.
- Void Fillers: Fill any empty spaces with bubble wrap or fillers to minimize movement.
- Volume Control: Use fillers to control volume and reduce available air space.
- Coolants: Dry ice is ideal for keeping foods frozen, while gel packs are suitable for keeping foods between 32°F and 60°F.
- Melt Protection: Wrap foods that may melt in plastic to minimize potential damage.
- Secure Seal: Thoroughly seal the package and apply any necessary labels.
Specific frozen products may have additional best practices. For instance, double-bagging frozen seafood is often recommended. Some companies suggest adding one pound of gel as a backup for every three pounds of meat when shipping frozen meats.
Be aware of potential restrictions on packaging materials. While uncommon, restrictions may apply, such as dry ice restrictions for air shipments exceeding 5.5 pounds. Generally, these rules have exceptions for medical and laboratory materials.
Carrier Options for Shipping Frozen Foods
Each major U.S. carrier provides options for shipping frozen foods, with some being more suitable than others. Working directly with a carrier or through a 3PL is recommended. Also, consider local and regional carriers specializing in refrigerated and frozen products.
FedEx
FedEx offers specific services to help you ship frozen items, particularly if you plan to make it a part of your business. They have large, pallet-sized containers for clinical and pharmaceutical goods, as well as solutions for shipping frozen foods. FedEx provides guidelines for using dry ice and will guide you through labeling and packaging. Consider using SenseAware shipments, which track the temperature of your parcels, ensuring proper cold chain maintenance.
FedEx offers the following options:
- Use sturdy frozen food packaging or pre-configured options.
- Packaging must withstand a minimum of 24 hours in transit.
- Foam containers should be placed inside outer packaging with a thickness of 1-1/2″ (4cm) or greater.
- Mark boxes appropriately, including the weight of the dry ice.
- Use a fast service or temperature-controlled options.
- FedEx Express aims to deliver within 24 hours.
UPS
UPS emphasizes proper containers for shipping frozen items. They recommend using thick foam with external packaging and creating space for dry ice. UPS advises against using regular ice, as it is ineffective.
Quint Marini, package engineering manager at UPS Package Design and Test Lab, suggests combining dry ice with other coolants like frozen gel packs, especially for transit times exceeding one day.
Other UPS considerations include:
- Comply with dry ice regulations, including the 5.5 lbs weight limit for air shipments and international restrictions.
- Use the thickest foam containers possible.
- Consider Next Day Air for delivery within 30 hours.
- Contact Cold Chain services for freight questions and support, even outside of healthcare settings.
USPS
The Postal Service doesn’t offer a specific cold or frozen shipping option. However, they provide some flexibility for shipping frozen foods, particularly for sealed coolers. This flexibility requires more work and attention to detail.
Here’s how can you ship frozen food with USPS:
- Use sturdy, leak-proof packaging.
- Dry ice is acceptable for domestic shipping, limited to 5 lbs per mail piece on air.
- Dry ice requires proper labeling and declaration on the package.
- Packages must be marked with the weight of the dry ice and the names of all foods.
- Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express services are recommended for refrigerated items.
- USPS has restrictions on mailing produce to certain areas (e.g., Florida, Hawaii, California), so review the service’s FAQ.
Partnering for High-Volume Frozen Food Shipping
For business applications and high-volume shipments, partnering with a 3PL is the best approach. Look for a provider with specific handling capabilities for your industry and products. This includes strict warehouse conditions, sensor and technology support, cold chain monitoring, and safety guarantees.
Start evaluating 3PLs by asking standard questions and adding specific inquiries about hazardous material labels, dry ice use, and how they ensure fast delivery of your products.
By understanding how can you ship frozen food effectively, you can ensure your products arrive in perfect condition, delighting your customers and preserving the quality of your goods.
