Shipping fresh food for small businesses can be tricky. It has to be kept at the right temperature, and it must arrive on time. But with the right information, you can navigate this process successfully. Here’s what you need to know:
Cold and frozen goods
For small businesses, the key to shipping fresh food is using thermal cargo blankets. They keep the cold in and help to keep your products at their best quality.
The next step is to track your shipment with a cold chain system. This will allow you to monitor temperature changes throughout the delivery process. It also allows for more accurate reporting as well as faster responses in case of an issue that needs attention.
Insulated boxes are another way to keep items cool during transportation (or warm if needed). These boxes can be used whether you’re shipping by air or ground—they’re designed specifically for this purpose by experts who know what works best when dealing with sensitive goods like perishable foods.
Ice packs are another good way of keeping things cool while travelling. However, they’ll need replacing along the way because the ice will melt eventually unless it’s dry ice (which won’t). Dry ice should only be handled by professionals due to its extreme temperatures (60 degrees below zero Celsius/negative 76 degrees Fahrenheit), so it’s important not to handle it without proper training first otherwise risks getting burnt.
Perishable goods
The main thing to remember when shipping perishable goods is that you have limited control over the environment of your package. You don’t want to damage your product, and if you do, it’s not easy to repair. This means that there are some basic rules you need to follow in order for your shipment to be successful.
To start with, the temperature is a big deal when shipping food items. You should always ship at an appropriate temperature for the type of product being shipped and how long it will take for them to reach their destination (and let’s face it—you’re going to want them fresh). If you’re using ice packs or other insulation methods, keep in mind that they can leak or melt. This will compromise the integrity of your packaging materials as well as any foods they come into contact with inside your box.
Humidity levels are also important. If things get too moist outside their original packaging (like apples), mould can develop quickly and ruin everything inside due to its ability to spread rapidly through spores carried on air currents throughout all environments.
Packaging and labelling
Before you can ship your food, you will need to package it in a way that protects the integrity of the product. Packaging materials can be bought specifically for shipping purposes, or they can be repurposed from other products. If you don’t have time to purchase disposable packaging materials, consider using recycled plastic wrap or bubble wrap as your primary packing material. Make sure that every item is wrapped completely before being placed into a box. This will help prevent any leaks from occurring during transit.
Carriers by air, land, and sea
Time is money, and if you have a fresh food business, it’s important to know how to get your products from point A to point B as quickly and inexpensively as possible. The three most common methods are air transport (by plane), sea freight (by boat), and land transit (by truck).
Air transport is the fastest method of all three, but it’s also the most expensive. Because of this cost factor, many small businesses opt for sea freight instead. While ocean travel is slower than air travel, it’s much cheaper—especially when you factor in that shipping by air requires extra costs like plane tickets and airport parking fees.
Land transit is by far the slowest method. However, land shipping tends to be less expensive than either its airborne or marine counterparts because there are fewer expenses involved with transporting goods via land routes instead of over water or through the sky.
Conclusion
Shipping fresh food for your small business can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right knowledge of which foods are best shipped when and how to do it safely, you can keep your customers happy and keep your reputation intact.