The e-commerce market is growing rapidly thorough out the world. Food and grocery delivery have become more accessible to people. After the pandemic hit, this industry witnessed skyrocketing growth. However, shipping and delivering perishable items safely and affordably is quite a challenge. If one fails to do so, they can face many consequences as health risks are involved. The goods have to reach the customers as fresh as the day they were made and packed. This article talks of some of the guidelines that you can follow while shipping perishables.
Controlling the temperature
Dairy products, fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, and many other perishable items require frozen storage. Coordinating the different sectors of logistics of frozen food shipment is a hazardous task. You have to put in extra effort to ensure that the goods stay fresh and the shipment reaches their destination before their shelf life expires. Refrigeration and insulation are the only ways to avoid extreme temperature and humidity affecting the goods. You can use dry ice or cold packs for this purpose. If you are planning to use dry ice, remember to handle it carefully.
Packaging considerations
As a packaging material, glass is a good option. But it is avoided as it is heavier, expensive, and fragile. Even if you choose glass as a packaging material, you will require more bubble wraps and a sturdy container to keep it intact during international freight shipping. So, most of the time, plastic bags and wrappings are preferred over glass. Insulated shipping containers are also used for packaging purposes.
Hire an experienced freight forwarder
No matter how many preventive measures you take to ship the perishable items, time is very crucial. Delay may happen at any point in time, and your goods may spend their entire shelf-life in transit. It is best to hire an experienced freight forwarder to prevent something of that sort from happening. The forwarder must have expertise in cold storage transportation and provide reliable service.
Take the help of notification apps
With the advancement of technology, the shippers can take the help of apps to notify retailers, way in advance about the approach of the items so that they get ample time to prepare for the timely delivery of the goods. After all, keeping the freshness and the quality of the products intact is of utmost importance.
Try to book passage of the items with other frozen goods
Budget is a deciding factor for any shipment. To keep your expenses within a limit, try to reorganize orders of varied frozen items in a single shipment. Cargo pallets now have sensor technology that enables the companies to know of any hindrance in the process.
Label the boxes properly
Proper labeling prevents many untoward situations from arising. If glass containers have been used to pack liquid items, the boxes containing them should mention instructions like “food contents”, “fragile items” or “handle with care”. Such directions will help the handlers to be cautious while dealing with the items.
Conclusion
Express shipping is the best option for transporting perishable objects. It might cost you more, but delivering them safely to your customer should be of prime importance for you if you want to stay in the business.