Tips for Shipping Food in the Summer

You might feel like shipping food requires much less packing today because the time it takes to ship a package is much less than it once was. However, if you’re shipping perishables, it doesn’t matter how long the estimated delivery date is, you still must package your food items accordingly to prevent food-borne illnesses and spoilage. We advise, especially during the hotter months, you package your food items using a few simple rules.

1. Refrigerated Packaging
With more and more grocery stores offering shipping on their freezer and refrigerator items, shipping goods that need to stay cold during the shipping process is easier to ship than ever. You have much more of a selection of packaging options available. Discuss with the shipping company your options and which ones are best suited for your particular needs. The type of package varies based on how cold the item must stay and how long it needs to stay cold for.

2. Opaque Packaging
Make sure you opt for manila or other similar colored packaging for your goods. If not, especially if the package is left on a doorstep, the sun may penetrate through the packaging and spoil your food faster, especially if you use a white envelope or just bubble wrap. Boxes work well at keeping the sun from heating up your item.

3. Layer of Bubble Wrap
It doesn’t hurt to use a layer of bubble wrap for extra protection on your item. Keep in mind, bubble wrap isn’t a replacement for the refrigerated packaging, so you should never send use bubble wrap, even for shipping packages short distances.

4. Don’t Rely on Estimated Delivery Time
Even though we briefly mentioned this in the introduction, it’s worth repeating and placing emphasis on: you should always use the proper shipping material, even if it’s a frozen food item, because anything may hold up the shipping process.