The Who, What, When, Where and Why of Shipping Perishable Items

It is the season of shipping! Shipping supplies, shipping boxes, shipping labels, shipping planes, trains, and automobiles… The holidays are the time of year when massive amount of packages are being sent all over the globe. People want to remember their loved ones and sending them gifts is a great way to do it. Sending nonperishable items is easy enough, but what about your famous fruit cake that you want to bless everyone you know with? Shipping food is a different story altogether, and there are some important things you should know beforehand. You are going to need dry ice or gel packs, not to mention proper packaging, like what sort of shipping boxes and insulation you should be using.

Let’s answer the most common questions people may have: who, what, when, where, and why (in no particular order).

Why? If you are shipping food to your loved ones, your main concern is going to be preservation. You obviously don’t want the food to spoil, and choosing a coolant, proper packaging, and effective shipping methods are all going to work in your favor.

Where? We don’t normally deal in dry ice and gel packs, so we usually don’t know where to buy them. You can actually get them both at most grocery stores. UPS locations sell gel packs, and there are plenty of dry ice vendors available that you can find after a simple internet search.

Who? Dry ice is not an option for air travel because it is frozen carbon dioxide, so if you are set on using it you are going to need to go with ground travel.

What? Keep in mind that dry ice stays true to its name: it remains dry. Gel packs become damp as they begin to thaw out. However, dry ice doesn’t stay cold as long as gel packs do. These are necessary factors to keep in mind for which product you want to use depending on what you are sending. It is recommended to line your shipping boxes with about an inch and a half of Styrofoam, or ship your items in an actual Styrofoam cooler. Put a layer of coolant, then your food, and then another layer of coolant. Either way, seal the lid with tape to help preserve the lifetime of the coolant.

When? The maximum probable time for shipping with any coolant is three days. You are going to want to send your packages early in the week, so that they aren’t going to be sitting over the weekend at any time. Select next day or second day shipments. You can’t afford to go a cheaper, slower route if you are sending food.