Keeping it Fresh: Shipping Guide for Perishable Goods

Keeping it Fresh: Shipping Guide for Perishable Goods

Perishable goods shipping can be quite tricky, especially  with its slim timeframe and unpredictability. When not packaged properly and not delivered on time,  these goods can lose their freshness almost instantly and can post great health concerns if consumed. But that doesn’t mean it cannot be done. 

When packaged properly and shipped immediately and securely, perishable goods can survive any trip while preserving its freshness. This shipping  guide shows exactly how to package and secure different types of perishable goods to make them last longer.

 

Shipping Guide 101: How to Package and Ship Perishable Goods

 

1. Shipping Baked Goods 

As a general rule of thumb for baked goods, it is best to wrap them to seal their freshness and have them in secured containers. Wrap sturdily structured baked goods like bread, rolls, and pies with clear plastic wrap. Cookies should be wrapped individually to avoid crumbling. Cupcakes and cakes with icing can be frozen before packaged to help them hold their shape. To properly secure cupcakes, they need a container with a holder that separates them from each other. You can place an edible stick inside each cupcake to minimize the chance of them hitting the lid. 

Shipping Guide: It is preferable that homemade baked goods are shipped in a day to ensure freshness as they generally last as long as 2-3 days unrefrigerated. Cakes expire much faster with a 1-2 day shelf life, so they would have to have to be shipped and received almost immediately. Prepackaged baked goods have an expiration guide and generally can last for months. 

 

2. Shipping Meat and Frozen Goods

Temperature-sensitive food such as ice cream, yogurt, butter, and meat require insulation to beat the heat. To cut costs, you can create a packaging system to keep your products in just the right temperature that they need to be in. Styrofoam boxes are the most common to use for this packaging, but there are alternatives such as insulated liners and insulated pads that can be custom cut and placed into all sorts of boxes. 

You will need to use ice packs or dry ice to keep them in their needed temperature. Perishable goods that need to stay refrigerated, such as meat and seafood, use ice packs to keep them cool. Perishable goods that need to stay frozen, such as ice cream and butter, use dry ice. Make sure your boxes are well-sealed before sending them off. 

Shipping Guide: Meat, when kept in a cool temperature, won’t expire for a significantly long period, so as long as it is well packaged it won’t go bad in shipping. Raw meat such as poultry and steak cut red meat can last from 6 months up to a year. Processed meat such as ground meat, bacon, and hotdogs stay fresher when frozen, so make sure to pack these in dry ice. 

Frozen perishable goods such as dairy products can last only in a matter of weeks so they need to be sealed as tightly as possible and shipped right away. Cheeses like cream cheese, ricotta, and cottage cheese can last up to 2 weeks. Ice cream and frozen yogurt need to be frozen for 2-6 months. 

 

3. Shipping Fresh Fruit

To prevent bulks of fruit from bruising on each other, consider using bubble wrap or crumpled paper when packing them. If sending a variety of fruit in one package, make sure to stack them from heaviest to lightest. 

Shipping Guide: Fruits are often shipped right away as they may generally last for no more than a week. They can stay fresh once put in the refrigerator. 

Looking for a reliable courier service that can meet your delivery expectations? Worklink Services Inc. is a dedicated service making deliveries fast and easy. Talk to our DALIvery Experts today to avail of our simple freight forwarding and logistics solutions for more than 20 years. 

 

Also Read: Cargo Damage: How You Can Prevent It

 

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