By Patrick Watt
The transportation of perishable products is very challenging and demanding. Better still, we need the products for survival. For the products to get to the end consumer, a lot goes on, and if not careful, then the product that gets to the consumer is stale or rotten. Fruits and vegetables are some of the most common fresh products transported for short and long distances.
When the farmer harvests the products, they take them to the packaging companies. Every perishable good hast it’s proper packaging so that it lasts longer and maintains its original state. After the packaging, they’re delivered to the shipping companies. Short distances shipments may use roads while long-distance shipments use air transport. Thermal blankets for air cargo insulate the pallets to ensure no damage to products in transit. The goods are delivered to wholesalers or retail traders who later sell the products to the end-users. This article will guide the dos and don’ts in the shipment of fresh produce.
1. Find the best packaging
When it comes to shipping perishable food, this is one of the factors that is extensively considered. Different products will be needing other packaging methods. It will be best to choose a packaging method that protects the farm produce from temperature changes. The better the packaging, the longer the freshness of your produce.
2. Insulate your packages
Some products will need to be transported in trays whereas others will need crates. Others will need transport in plastic bags and other stacked inboxes. On the other hand, Seafood will need to be frozen as they are shipped for them to remain fresh. Therefore, it is essential to identify what product you are transporting and arrange for the best insulation to allow the products to get to its consumers without any spoilage.
3. Be keen on what refrigerant to use
While wet ice is a way of refrigerating your produce, it is cumbersome. It would help if you considered lighter ways of refrigeration when you are using air to transport your products. Dry ice is one of the methods used by many shipping firms. Dry ice eliminates the risk of wet ice melting and causing spoilage to the products. The shipping companies also minimize costs since dry ice is lighter than wet ice.
4. Minimize movement
The more the products move when they are in transit, the more they are likely to get spoiled. Ensure that your packages are padded. That will help reduce the impact on your fresh produce in case of movements. If you have to shrink wrap then ensure that the shrink films are of the right standards. Please do not go for cheap shrink films, as much as they are economical; they bring a lot of harm to the product’s users.
Bottom line
As much as fresh food shipping is a lucrative business, it would help if you handled the shipment with a lot of care and professionalism. You do not want your customers to end up food poisoned, right? Therefore, you must be careful about how to ship perishable food.
About the Author
Patrick Watt is a content writer, writing in several areas, primarily in business growth, value creation, M&A, and finance. His other interests include content marketing and self-development. Say hi to Patrick on Twitter @patrickwattpat.
