Have you ever baked some brownies and thought “My son or daughter is a starving college student. I should send them a care package with these brownies!” or “I can’t eat all of this fish from the 400-pound Halibut that I caught on vacation.” If you have, you probably looked into shipping costs and best practices for sending perishable foods across the state or country.
While there is an incredible amount of information online about shipping best practices, a lot of it is contradictory — meaning that you end up not knowing what you should do. Because of this, we thought that we would settle the shipping best practices debate in today’s blog.
Continue reading as we discuss the best way to ship perishable goods — including the use of our re-usable Herolily ice packs for shipping.
Wrap The Food In An Airtight Seal
It doesn’t matter if you are sending baked goods, meats, or frozen goods to someone. Regardless of what kind of food that you are sending, an airtight seal is absolutely necessary. For baked goods, the airtight seal will ensure that the food remains fresh. For frozen foods, meats, and any other perishable food, the airtight seal will decrease the chance that the food is exposed to pathogens during transportation. Does creating an airtight seal seem difficult? Don’t fret, a simple ziplock baggie will suffice!
Pick Appropriate Packaging
Sadly, shipping food is not as simple as placing the item in a box with an ice pack. Instead, it is important to pick an appropriate package for the food that you are shipping. If you are shipping a baked good, it is important to pick a package with some rigidity so that the items will not be crushed during transportation. For perishable foods, it is important to pick a package that is insulated. Insulated packaging can range from reflective-lined waterproof box liners to styrofoam coolers.
Choose The Best Refrigerant
When you are shipping a perishable item the most important consideration that should be made is the refrigerant that is used to keep the food cool — after all, you want it to be edible upon its arrival. Dry ice is a popular refrigerant for shipping, but if it is not properly packaged it can cause the perishable food to freeze. Because of this, we prefer using ice packs for shipping like our innovative Herolily ice packs.
Minimize Movement
Whether you are shipping a bag of cookies or a cut of steak, it is important that you package the food in a way that minimizes movement inside of the package. After all, you probably want the food to look appetizing when it gets to its final location. Bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and soft foam are all excellent tools for minimizing movement inside of the package.
When You Ship, Ship With Herolily
If you are planning on shipping food to a friend or family member it is important that you follow the above steps, and if the item is perishable, it is important that you use Herolily ice packs for shipping. Our ice packs are designed to keep foods and other perishable items cold much longer than your traditional ice pack. So what are you waiting for? Shop our selection of reusable ice packs today.