Shipping frozen food can be simple, but it can also be a long process. This is especially true when it comes to how to ship frozen meat and wholesale seafood online. You only have one chance to do it right.
If you select the wrong packaging materials, you could end up with thawed or spoiled food before the package gets to its final destination. In order to avoid any financial losses and ensure customer satisfaction, keep reading to understand how to ship frozen meat.
It’s important to have an effective and reliable method of temperature control. As soon as your product leaves your hands and goes through the delivery process, your meat wholesale shipment should be transported in the appropriate temperature range. This will prevent the products from spoiling.
In the rest of the article below, you'll understand how to ship a package. We’ll go through the rules to follow when learning how to ship frozen meat, eCommerce packaging options, and packaging control. You may even want to learn how to ship wine, to pair with the frozen meat you're selling.
Rules to Follow When Learning How to Ship Frozen Meat
There are different guidelines for shipping different frozen products. However, when it comes to frozen meat products, they’re commonly transported worldwide on a regular basis. While fresh meat products are transported locally, frozen meats can be transported long distances. However, there are a few rules to follow in order to do so properly.
Ensure Temperature Control
It’s crucial to keep perishable meat, including poultry, at a temperature below 40° F at all times. This prevents rapid bacteria growth. With a cold meat temperature, the growth of microorganisms that can cause illnesses when consumed will be restricted.
Use Effective Insulation Systems
You can't only ensure temperature control when learning how to ship meat. You also have to ensure that goods stay cold. That’s why using the proper meat packaging supplies is useful. It’s recommended that you use insulated box liners. These can include foam box inserts that offer high-performance temperature control. They can also fit inside corrugated boxes that are full of goods.
Have a Delivery Management System
It’s crucial to get out the frozen meat packages on time and shipped either overnight or with expedited shipping. It’s recommended that you determine the shipping fees for various weight scenarios and compare costs with different shipping companies. If you have substantial shipping volumes, you’ll likely be able to negotiate some transportation fees.
Some clients might not require overnight shipping. In this case, you might want to determine the slowest shipping time that you can send the products and still ensure safe arrival. Not all frozen meat shipments have to be delivered overnight in order to be delivered safely. Two-day shipping can be more cost-effective when learning how to ship meat. This is why delivery route optimization is crucial.
Packaging for Shipping Frozen Meat
There are all kinds of packaging options that you can consider using to keep your frozen meat products cold. You can also keep the heat out with the right kind of insulation.
Here are five packaging options:
1. Styrofoam Boxes
These come in standard sizes. They’ll oftentimes also include an exterior cardboard box. Styrofoam boxes can also have different wall thicknesses. A thicker wall will require fewer ice packs or dry ice; however, they can be more expensive. You can test out different sizes and thicknesses by requesting a few samples from suppliers.
2. Styrofoam Cut Sheets
The styrofoam cut sheets also come in a variety of standard sizes. They can also be customized to fit into any size box. Styrofoam cut sheets are a more cost-effective option than a whole styrofoam box, but not as effective when it comes to keeping various types of inventory cold.
3. Insulated Liners
An insulated liner can resemble an emergency blanket. However, it has a texture more like bubble wrap. The benefit of these liners is that they can be tightly wrapped around the product. You can then fill in extra gaps in the box with another packaging like bubble wrap.
4. Air-Filled Insulation Liners
This is a more affordable option. These liners come with a hand pump for small volume packages and an air tank for larger volumes. The liners use strong thermal properties of air to insulate the packages.
5. Insulated Pads
Insulated pads give you the best of both Styrofoam and insulated liners. However, they provide a greener solution since the pads are made from recycled materials.
How to Ship Frozen Meat With USPS
USPS allows you to ship meat domestically. When it comes to the United States Postal Service regulations on shipping frozen meat, they are quite lenient. The meat simply has to conform to the United States Department of Agriculture or USDA regulations. USPS also doesn’t have any restrictions on the type of service you choose for shipping meat.
Use Priority Mail Express
You can choose to use any USPS shipping service to ship your meat products. However, it’s suggested that you use USPS Priority Mail Express. When it comes to shipping perishable items, like frozen meat, speed is an important factor. This is because you’ll want to have your products make it to their final destination as soon as possible.
With Priority Mail Express, you can get next-day delivery options to many urban destinations. 2-day delivery options are available for rural locations. With these shipping options, you get a money-back guarantee if your shipment doesn’t arrive in time. There is also $100-worth of insurance included to cover lost packages or spoiled contents. You can calculate the shipping meat cost ahead of time online.
How to Ship Frozen Meat With FedEx
Some might wonder how to ship frozen meat with FedEx. Use a FedEx shipping calculator to get the right price. Below you’ll find some important information that you can use to ensure that your perishable items make it to their destination.
Drop Off Your Package
FedEx has specific drop-off locations for packages that contain dangerous goods, this includes dry ice. You can find this kind of drop-off location by checking online. Simply enter your location and select the option for “Dangerous goods shipping.”
If you choose not to drop off your package at a specific dangerous goods drop-off location, you can schedule to have your package picked up by FedEx Express.
Schedule a Pickup Online
You might be interested in a more convenient option to ship your frozen meat packages. One-time package pick-ups can be scheduled online for a fee. A courier will pick up your shipment from your preferred location.
Use an Insulated Container
When you ship your frozen meat packages with FedEx, you’ll have to freeze the products before packaging them in an insulated container. The insulated container or products must be bagged using a watertight 2-mil plastic bag if they contain liquid or are perishable.
Be sure to allow enough space for dry ice when you arrange the meat products in your insulated container. Add a sufficient amount of dry ice into the insulated container around and on top of the products. Fill in any empty spaces in the container with loose-fill peanuts or other packing material. Close the liner bag that you used, but don’t seal it all the way so that the dry ice gas can ventilate. Secure the package by placing the lid on top.
Place the Insulated Container in a Box
Place your insulated container with your frozen meat products inside a corrugated box. Close and secure it with tape. The H tape method is the proper taping method that you should use. Complete all the necessary paperwork, add the dangerous goods labeling, as well as the markings on the box.
Dry Ice Regulations
When you ship dry ice with FedEx, you have to provide the proper identification, classification, and add the correct labeling and markings on your package. These are the requirements enforced by the International Air Transport Association or IATA. Below is a list of the permanent markings that you must put on the outer packaging of your dry ice shipments:
- “Carbon Dioxide Solid” or “Dry Ice”
- “UN1845”
- The shipper and recipient name and address
- Net weight of the dry ice in your package in kilograms
- You should select “Dry Ice” on your documentation and complete all the necessary information
- In the Special Handling portion of the airbill, mark “Yes, Shipper’s Declaration not required”