key points:
- li>usps, fedex and ups® can ship your frozen food safely and affordably
Understanding how to ship frozen food is a critical aspect of your online business related to shipping various types of food. Regardless of the food you sell and ship, the food must reach the intended recipient in good condition while being fresh and free from any potential contamination. Your food showing up in poor condition will certainly cost your business customers and revenue.
Before you dive too deep into selling and shipping food, you need to know some important tips for shipping frozen food. This blog post offers a quick yet detailed look at ensuring your frozen foods ship without major hassles.
Common challenges of shipping frozen food
As many e-commerce entrepreneurs already know, shipping almost any type of frozen food or cold food comes with big challenges.
Extreme temperatures
When the weather is very hot or cold, it greatly affects packaged and frozen foods, especially if they are not properly packaged to withstand extreme temperatures. Since the weather can be unpredictable at times, consider using express courier services instead of standard shipping services to avoid spoilage.
moisture
Moisture, along with heat in general, is another major threat to frozen foods. it is important to include gel packs and other cooling materials to prevent frozen foods from melting during transit.
deterioration
Spoilage is another challenge frozen food sellers face during shipping. When food is not properly packaged in insulated boxes and properly refrigerated, the chances of food spoiling before it is delivered to its recipient are greatly increased.
how to pack frozen food for shipping
Before shipping your frozen foods, it’s important to make sure they’re properly packaged and refrigerated. Here are some key tips for packing frozen and cold foods to keep in mind:
1. Properly wrap frozen foods
First, you want to wrap your frozen foods in airtight plastic bags, especially for items that are prone to leaking if damaged in transit. You can also wrap airtight plastic bags with bubble wrap for added protection.
2. choose a suitable isothermal box
You will want to include an insulated box for the frozen item and the shipping container. This reasoning is because you don’t want your frozen food moving around in the shipping container during transit. Plus, an insulated frozen food box ensures your frozen item stays fresh during shipping.
3. place frozen items in shipping container
Now, place your packaged frozen item in its insulated container inside the shipping box. you’ll want to include any cushioning material or refrigerant to ensure your frozen item stays cold in the next few steps.
4. include dry ice or gel packs inside the insulated box
Dry ice and gel packs are a must when shipping frozen foods. dry ice is best for items you want to keep frozen during transit (ie steak), while gel packs are for items you want to keep cool but not frozen (ie baked goods).
Be sure to research any shipping restrictions with your chosen courier if using dry ice for your frozen food shipment. dry ice is considered hazardous and requires shippers to follow certain guidelines when shipping with this packaging material.
5. seal the box and include the correct labeling and classification
You can now seal your shipping box after following the steps above to ship frozen food. Make sure there are enough refrigerant packing materials around your frozen item before sealing your shipping container.
then, place the required labels on your shipping box (ie the hazardous material sticker), and you’re ready to ship frozen food!
best practices for shipping frozen food
Understanding how to ship frozen foods via couriers without being compromised during shipping is crucial for online merchants. In general, there are several ways to work around these serious challenges, including:
consider express courier services
Ground delivery services can take more than ten business days to deliver a package, depending on the delivery destination, so you may want to consider using an express courier service to ship frozen foods.
Retailers who opt for a standard delivery service run the risk of their frozen food spoiling and unsatisfied customers. To ensure your frozen food arrives fresh, consider using express delivery services like UPS Next Day Air®, FedEx First Night, or even USPS Priority Mail Express.
use proper shipping boxes and containers
When shipping frozen food, it is best to use the following packaging to keep food frozen during transit:
- food shipping containers with foam insulation, such as Styrofoam
- dry ice boxes
- cardboard boxes with insulated liners to maintain cold temperatures
It’s best to choose a shipping container that’s slightly larger than your item, so there’s enough room to add ice packs or dry ice to keep temperatures down during shipping.
avoid taking shortcuts when packaging frozen foods
Shipping frozen food is not like shipping non-perishable food because frozen food can spoil while non-perishable food can’t. this fact alone means that you must use the proper packaging materials to prevent any damage or deterioration during transit. consider using packing materials such as the following:
- gel packs
- sealable plastic bags
- strong corrugated cardboard boxes
- dry ice
If you’re not sure where to look for packaging supplies, uline offers several packaging materials for frozen foods.
properly refrigerate frozen food shipments
Frozen food items require shippers to use frozen gel packs and other packaging materials, such as bubble wrap, to secure their shipment. When packing your frozen food shipments, use an adequate amount of dry ice and frozen gel packs. with dry ice, always make sure there is some ventilation in the box or container.
As a general rule of thumb, use one pound of gel pack for every three pounds of meat. shellfish should be double-bagged for added protection against extreme weather temperatures. airtight plastic should also be used in the packaging of leak-prone products.
Consider shipping insurance for frozen items
Shipping insurance protects merchants from lost, stolen, or damaged packages. most couriers only offer $100 shipping insurance for express services. however, shipping platforms like easyship offer $10,000 shipping insurance on all domestic and international packages. So if you’re shipping a great wagyu steak across the country, shipping insurance will protect your frozen food.
how to ship frozen food with usps, ups and fedex
Most major shipping companies like USPS, UPS, and FedEx have similar guidelines for shipping frozen foods. however, there are some differences between the messengers. see how to ship frozen food with the main courier services below.
ship with usps
usps does not offer specific refrigeration services for shipments, although they do have recommended guidelines to follow if you use their courier services for frozen foods.
Here are some guidelines you should know about shipping frozen food with USPS:
- usps does not offer specific refrigeration services for shipments
- dry ice containers are accepted
- containers must be leak proof and odor free. must not be airtight to allow condensation and carbon dioxide gas to escape from melting ice
- dry ice packaging is not allowed for international shipments
- recommended a thick Styrofoam box instead of an inexpensive one. styrofoam coolers
- dry ice packs must have a miscellaneous hazardous materials warning label with class 9 dots and must be marked “carbon dioxide, solid or dry ice”
- package must contain the dangerous goods declaration prepared in triplicate, and affixed to the outside of the package
- package must be marked with the name of the food being chilled and contain the net weight of the ice dry
shipping with ups
ups offers excellent courier services for fast frozen food shipping. You’ll need to keep a few guidelines in mind, but overall, it’s a great option for shipping frozen food.
Here are some guidelines you should know about shipping frozen food with ups:
- try to keep the delivery time below 30 hours. ups next day air® for shipping frozen food
- use a thin plastic liner for the inside of the package and enclose the food in a plastic bag.
- insulating foam containers are recommended thick to keep food as cold as possible.
- packing with dry ice is acceptable. gel packs are a good solution, but frozen water is not recommended.
- There are restrictions on shipping more than 5.5 pounds of dry ice when shipping by air.
- if shipping dry ice internationally, iata regulations will apply.
shipping with fedex
Like UPS, FedEx is a good option for shipping frozen foods and offers express and overnight delivery services.
Here are some guidelines you need to know when shipping frozen foods with FedEx:
- Consider using fedex temp-assure, a suite of temperature control solutions
- fedex offers cold shipping packaging
- for US shipments, fedex express requires that perishable packages withstand a minimum transit time of 24 hours greater than the delivery commitment
- it is recommended to use insulating foam containers with a minimum of 1-1/2″ (4 cm) thick walls
- when shipping with dry ice, correct identification, classification, markings and labeling on outer box
- foam containers must be placed inside strong outer containers
how much does it cost to ship frozen food?
When it comes to the cost of shipping perishable frozen food from one location to another, there is no set price. The amount of money you spend on shipping your products is mainly determined by the distance, duration, weight and type of frozen food you are trying to ship.
You should also consider that you will likely have to invest in dry ice and gel for packing, the amount is determined by the weight of your products and the distance you have to travel before they are delivered.
To find out how to ship frozen food affordably, it’s best to properly assess the materials needed to ship it successfully and any additional service costs that may be charged by your courier.
Once you know your numbers for packing and shipping frozen foods, you can use easyship as a helpful resource. our shipping calculator is a great way to receive accurate shipping and delivery time estimates from our global courier network and our support for generating labels, tracking shipments abroad, and more.
First, we’ll calculate the rates from the major couriers and then compare them to easyship’s discounted rates so you can get an idea of the price difference between the two options.
shipping frozen food with usps
say you ship a 5 pound (12 x 10 x 5) shipment of frozen food from new york to los angeles with usps; we will calculate the rates for shipping frozen food with the fastest service below.
shipping frozen food with ups
let’s say you ship a 5 pound (12 x 10 x 5) shipment of frozen food from new york to los angeles with ups; we will calculate the rates for shipping frozen food with the fastest service below.
shipping frozen food with fedex
say you ship a 5 pound (12 x 10 x 5) shipment of frozen food from new york to los angeles with fedex; we will calculate the rates for shipping frozen food with the fastest service below.
shipping frozen food with easyship
easyship saves users up to 91% off discounted shipping rates from over 250 couriers, even when shipping frozen foods. We’ll calculate the rates to ship a 5-pound frozen food shipment (12 x 10 x 5) with easy shipping below.
*ups discounts are outside of ups daily rates. Rates are limited to shipments from the US. uu. only. applicable rates and discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.
Related Post: Shipping Food: The Do’s and Don’ts Guide to Keeping Produce Fresh
the best way to ship frozen food with easyship
If you sell perishable, frozen or cold foods, it’s crucial to ship them correctly to ensure they arrive fresh and free of harmful contaminants. If you follow proper packaging and shipping procedures, from seafood to fruit to ice cream and anything in between, it’s possible to ship frozen foods via FedEx or another major courier service.
If you need to find out more about shipping options and prices, Easyship is just a few clicks away to make this easier. With Easyship, you’ll also be able to use tools and features such as the following:
- Shipping Policy Generator: Our Shipping Policy Generator helps merchants and crowdfunding campaigns generate their shipping policy by providing options tracking & insurance
- easyship’s shipping rate calculator: access bulk discounts from major couriers. plus, get instant access to delivery times from premium shipping couriers
- easyship branded package: easyship provides a consistent delivery experience with your brand. add your logo and collateral to your packing slips, landing pages, and follow-up emails
ready to ship? sign up for a free easy shipping account and learn how you can create a streamlined shipping experience for shipping frozen food
frequently asked questions about shipping frozen food
Can I ship frozen food through UPS Ground®?
technically yes, but you may want to consider shipping with express courier services to avoid damage.
What is the best way to ship frozen foods overnight from one state to another?
ups, usps and fedex offer overnight courier services for frozen food shipments.
what are the best frozen foods for international shipments?
usps, ups, and fedex are great couriers for shipping frozen foods internationally.
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