Cold Chain Packaging of Frozen Foods for Shipping. A Primer for Temperature-Controlled Solutions.
Advantages of Cold Chain Packaging of Frozen Foods for Shipping
- Extend product shelf life
- Reduce loss of quality and nutrients
- Maintain product integrity during distribution process
- Decrease the risk of microbial contamination.
- Transferred with a continuous operation, such as with a delivery truck, and transferred to refrigerators or freezers without compromising quality
- Better protected against spreading foodborne illnesses caused by bacterial growth
- Preserved against spoilage
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Foods that Need to Be Frozen (and the Right Temperatures)
Fruits, vegetables, fish, and meats all need to be refrigerated or frozen to maintain their quality during the transportation process. Chilling fruits and vegetables will help them maintain their quality for longer while freezing, or chilling meats and fish will prevent spoilage and the growth of potentially dangerous bacteria.
Click to see what products should be stored at -18°C
For products stored at -18°C:
- Vegetables have a practical storage life of between 12 and 24 months
- Raw meat and meat products have a practical storage life of 2 to 18 months
- Fish and shellfish have a practical storage life of 4 to 10 months
- Ice cream maintains a practical storage life of 6 months
For preventing bacterial growth, avoid these temperatures
For preventing dangerous bacterial growth:
- Mesophilic salmonella begins to grow at a minimum of 5.1°C
- Mesophilic Staphylococcus aureus grows at a minimum of 9.5°C to 10.4°C and produces toxins at 14.3°C
- Psychrotrophic escherichia coli (e. coli) grows at 7.1°C
- Psychrotrophic listeria monocytogenes grows at -0.1°C to +1.2°C
- Psychrotrophic yersinia enterocolitica grows at -0.9°C to -1.3°C
- Psychrotrophic Aeromonas hydrophila grows at -0.1°C to +1.2°C
- Vegetables have a practical storage life of between 12 and 24 months
- Raw meat and meat products have a practical storage life of 2 to 18 months
- Fish and shellfish have a practical storage life of 4 to 10 months
- Ice cream maintains a practical storage life of 6 months
- Mesophilic salmonella begins to grow at a minimum of 5.1°C
- Mesophilic Staphylococcus aureus grows at a minimum of 9.5°C to 10.4°C and produces toxins at 14.3°C
- Psychrotrophic escherichia coli (e. coli) grows at 7.1°C
- Psychrotrophic listeria monocytogenes grows at -0.1°C to +1.2°C
- Psychrotrophic yersinia enterocolitica grows at -0.9°C to -1.3°C
- Psychrotrophic Aeromonas hydrophila grows at -0.1°C to +1.2°C
Products Designed to Protect Frozen Foods in Transit
While there are several factors to designing a protective packaging system, most rely on a few main components: The cooler, refrigerant, and an outer corrugate box. Below are some of those products designed for this purpose.
Coolers
An insulated cooler, also known as thermal or insulated shipper, includes EPS or EPP molded coolers. They are available in a multitude of sizes.
Cooler
An insulated cooler is one option. Also known as thermal or insulated shippers, these include EPS or EPP molded coolers are available in a multitude of sizes.
TempAid’s EPS (expanded polystyrene) coolers are made from rigid cellular plastic, composed of 90% air. This makes the product lightweight and low-cost. The company’s EPS coolers are also compostable under specific conditions. Our EPP (expanded polypropylene) coolers are made of a bio-stable polyurethane foam that is durable, insulates, and is made of a disposable Class 7 curbside material. Both coolers are high temperature resistant and have high energy absorption.
Gel Packs
Gel packs are a low-cost method of cold chain shipping refrigerants. They come in a variety of sizes, temperature ranges, outer shells and temperature durations.
Gel Packs
All of our gel packs are durable and contain a non-toxic polymer that cools uniformly and colder than ice. These products help maintain the cool temperature inside of thermal or insulated shippers. Our gel pack product line includes:
- Durable/Leakproof gel packs: Readily available in various sizes, these gel packs are made of a thick and puncture-resistant PE/PA film that has been pressure tested to handle substantial weight without rupturing.
- Drain-Friendly gel packs: These packs are reusable, recyclable, and drain safe for household drains and septic systems.
- Low-cost gel packs: Our most economical option, these gel packs are designed to be some of the lowest cost on the market today. They are made for high-volume and low-cost shipping needs.
Hard Bottle PCM
Hard bottle PCM’s (phase change materials) are designed for shipping in warehouse and packing environments that require tight a pack out or rough handling environments.
Hard Bottle PCM
Our hard bottle PCM’s (phase change materials) are the perfect solution for shipping in warehouse and packing environments that require a durable alternative to standard gel packs or where a tight packout is required. Available in either high-density polyethylene or straight polyethylene plastic containers, these hard bottles have a rigid shell that allows for repeated use thousands of times without causing damage to the shape of it or affecting the performance.
Flexible Water Blankets
Flexible water blankets are the perfect choice for shipping products where scalability and uniform cold are essential. They can be wrapped around the product for 365 degrees of cold.
Flexible Water Blankets
TempAid’s flexible water blankets are the perfect choice for shipping products where scalability and uniform cold are essential. The blankets are made of connected pouches that are flexible when frozen and can be wrapped around objects to mold to the shipment, eliminating thermal “dead” zones.
TempAid Cold Chain Solutions
40 Years Experience
green solutions
cost-effective
Support
lab services
global manufacturing
About US
TempAid™, a division of Rapid Aid Corp., manufactures a complete line of cold chain solutions designed for optimal temperature stability in the food, pharmaceutical, and laboratory sectors. As part of the Rapid Aid brand, the company has been delivering solutions to the market since 1975. The company has the capacity and manufacturing capability to deliver hundreds of millions of units per year.
LEADERSHIP IN INNOVATION
Our strategic investment in new technologies, materials and methods deliver the best quality products at the best possible cost.
Manufacturing Excellence
Over 45 years of manufacturing excellence and experience – production acumen we pass on to you.
Global Reach
Manufacturing on three continents assures a stable supply chain and cost optimization to meet your needs.
SUSTAINABility Driven
Our continued sustainability focus helps the world run better and improve people's lives, a guiding principle to our business strategy.
Cold Chain Packaging Options and Components
There are different cold chain packaging options and components to help maintain the integrity of the products.
DURABLE LEAK-PROOF GEL PACKS
A cost conscious choice for when a hardier gel pack may be needed.
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FLEXIBLE WATER BLANKETS
Temperature control for shipping sensitive products where scalability and uniform cold is needed.
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Earth-wise
Gel Packs
Reusable, recyclable, drain-safe gel packs eliminate thousands of tons of waste each year.
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HARD BOTTLE GEL PACKS & PCM
A durable choice for rough environments where reuse and tight pack outs are required.
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LOW COST
GEL PACKS
Engineer your packaging to assure optimum performance and pack out simplicity.
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INSULATED CONTAINERS
We have a full line of lightweight & low cost insulated coolers for every application.
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PCM Mailer
Envelope
Thermal insulated mailer with Integrated
refrigerants.
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Tested
solutions
Engineer your packaging to assure optimum performance and pack-out simplicity.
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About TempAid Lab Testing for Frozen Foods
Our ISTA certified labs offer packaging testing of frozen food processing, manufacturing, and packaging suppliers. The tests we conduct include:
- Distribution simulation (ASTM D4169, ISTA Series 1-7)
- Environmental conditioning (ISTA 2A & 3A, ASTM D4332)
- Shelf-life testing (ASTM F1980)
This helps distributors simulate the conditions that packages will be sent through and analyzes the cold chain process to ensure it adheres to all industry regulations.
Contact Us for More Information on Packaging of Frozen Foods
TempAid leads the industry in the packaging of temperature-sensitive products and solutions. For more information about our cold chain packaging products and solutions, contact us toll-free at 1-800-COLD-HOT or at 905-820-4788.