How to Ship Frozen Food: A Comprehensive Guide
It takes careful planning and execution to ship frozen food so that it gets to its destination safely and stay frozen the whole way. It is very important to know the right way to ship frozen food, whether you are a small business owner sending fragile goods or a person sending a gift to a loved one. If you want to ship frozen food, I’m here to tell you everything you need to know.
Key Takeaways
- To keep frozen food safe and fresh during travel, it’s important to use the right packing and shipping methods.
- Using the right shipping method and packaging, like dry ice or gel packs, can help make sure the food gets to its destination at the right temperature.
- When you ship frozen food across foreign borders, you need to make sure it has the right labels and paperwork, like health and safety certificates and customs forms.
- Businesses might benefit from building relationships with reliable shippers and providers to make sure they always have a steady supply of high-quality frozen food.
- Dry ice is needed to keep frozen items cool. It keeps things cold for longer, but you should be careful when using it. When touching things, put on gloves and goggles to protect your skin from getting burned.
- Put food in a plastic bag and seal it up tight. Do not let the food touch the dry ice.
- Most of the time, you can’t send dry ice or frozen foods abroad.
- Talk to your shipping company about how much dry ice you can use, and make sure you follow their rules.
- Let the receiver know if the package has dry ice in it. Put this on the outside of the container in a clear way.
Understanding the Challenges of Shipping Frozen Food
Shipping frozen food is different from shipping non-perishable things in a number of ways. The biggest concern is keeping the cold chain going. This is the supply chain that keeps food at the right temperature from where it is made to where it is eaten. Any change in temperature can cause food to go bad and put the safety and quality at risk.
Common Challenges of Shipping Frozen Foods
A lot of people who run their own businesses online already know how hard it is to ship almost any kind of frozen or cold food.
Extreme Temperatures
It’s bad for packed and frozen foods when it’s very hot or cold, especially if they aren’t packed right to handle the high temperatures. Because the weather can change quickly, you might want to use fast courier services instead of regular shipping services to keep your goods from going bad.
Humidity
Another big danger for frozen foods is humidity, which goes along with heat in general. Putting gel packs and other cooling materials in the box will keep frozen food from melting while it’s being shipped.
Spoilage
One more problem that sellers of frozen foods have to deal with is food going bad during shipping. People who don’t use insulated boxes and proper cooling when they pack their food greatly increase the chances that it will go bad before it gets to its destination.
Packaging Requirements for Shipping Frozen Food
Using the right wrapping is very important for keeping frozen food fresh while it’s being shipped. Here are some important things to think about when packaging:

Insulated Packaging
For thermal protection against changes in temperature, use insulated packing materials like foam coolers or insulated shipping containers. These packages help keep the food at the right temperature inside, so it doesn’t thaw while it’s being shipped.
Gel Packs or Dry Ice
Put dry ice or gel packs inside the package to keep the food inside cool. Gel packs can be used again and again and can be frozen again. Dry ice, on the other hand, cools more quickly but needs to be handled carefully because it is so cold.

Secure Sealing
Make sure the package is well sealed so that it doesn’t leak or spill while it’s being shipped. Strong adhesive tape should be used to seal the seams and edges of the packaging. For extra protection, you might want to use waterproof packing materials.

Choosing the Right Carrier and Shipping Method
Picking the right carrier and sending method is important for getting things delivered on time and keeping the temperature stable. Here are some things to think about:
Expedited Shipping
Choose faster shipping services to cut down on travel time and the chance of freezing. Pick carriers that have a history of handling high-value items that go bad quickly and having fast delivery options.
Temperature-Controlled Services
Look for shipping companies that offer temperature-controlled services that are meant to ship goods that need to be delivered quickly. These services make sure that the food stays at the right temperature for the whole trip.
Tracking and Monitoring
Choose a carrier that lets you track and watch your package in real time so you can keep an eye on its status and temperature. This lets steps be taken ahead of time in case things don’t go as planned.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship Frozen Food?
Frozen food can be shipped for anywhere from $30 to $150 on average. You won’t know ahead of time how much it will cost to ship frozen food because each package has different ingredients, sizes, and weights. Different eCommerce shipping companies offer different services and features, which affect prices. For example, shipping speed and optional protection are two examples of these.
Preparing Frozen Food for Shipment
It’s important to properly prepare the frozen food for shipping before packing it to make sure it arrives safely and in good condition. What you need to do is:
Pre-Freeze the Food
Before putting the food items in boxes to ship, freeze them to the best temperature for keeping. This helps keep the cold chain going and stops too much warming while in transit.
Use Quality Packaging Materials
Spend money on good package materials that are made for shipping frozen food. Do not use weak or thin packaging that might not keep things warm or safe enough.
Labeling and Documentation
Make sure the package is clearly marked as perishable and kept frozen to let the carrier and receiver know what’s inside. Include any paperwork that is needed, like shipping stamps or packing slips, to make sure that the package is handled and delivered without any problems.

Best Practices For How To Ship Frozen Foods
Before we talk about how to ship frozen foods with each service, here are some general rules and suggestions that will help you get your order ready. When you give frozen peas to a family member for a recipe or when you start the next great food-box subscription, you should do this.
- Learn and be able to easily explain what your foods need. Note this down.
- Check with more than one company to see what choices you have. Make sure you ask them about sending frozen foods.
- Send things out as soon as you can. To keep them at the right temperature, you have to do more the longer they’re in travel.
- Make sure the materials and packaging you use fit your needs—we’ll talk more about that below.
- Make sure you store foods right before you send them. Make sure the person you’re giving them to can also store them.
- As needed, label shipments and include any warnings that are needed, like dry ice labels if you’re using it.
- Don’t forget to keep the food safe from the box itself! To use an example, wrap things in plastic before putting them in a box with dry ice.
Tips on Shipping Fruit
When sending fruit, it’s especially important to pad and pack it well. You want the goods to get to the customer as fresh as possible, whether you’re moving them from the orchard to the market or directly to the customer.
Get the most out of these quick tips:
- Take off any blemished or broken fruits before you pack them. Remember the saying, “One bad apple can ruin the whole bunch.” If you want to know if a fruit is ready, don’t squeeze it. This could lead to bruises. Instead, look at the items.
- Which main container you use will depend on the type and amount of fruit you are sending. Oranges and other hard fruits can be shipped in wooden boxes and trays. Some fruits, like peaches and pears, are easy to damage if they get rolled around, so molded trays are better for them. Plastic cases are good for small, soft fruits. Another popular choice is corrugated fiberboard.
- Think about the weather where you’re sending to and from. Being in hot and wet places speeds up the ripening process. That’s why it’s important to know what temperature is best for sending fruit. For example, sweet cherries don’t last long and should be kept at or near freezing while being shipped.
- Even after they’ve been picked, fruits still breathe, taking in oxygen and letting out carbon dioxide. Fruits breathe at different rates depending on the type of fruit and the temperature where it is being shipped. This could be important for other shipping reasons. When sending apples, for example, keep them as far away from other fruits and vegetables as you can. Apples tend to soak up smells from their surroundings.

- If you’re sending a lot of items, make sure the containers are packed tightly together and have enough airflow. Cover veggies with plastic lids to keep them safe from damage from other containers. Put packing materials inside the container to keep the things inside from moving around. Label the outside of your containers “Perishable.”
- UPS has a contracting system for shippers who regularly send a lot of perishables, like fruit, and follow all the rules and regulations, including any national rules and regulations.
Shipping with Dry Ice
Even though dry ice is an important part of sending frozen or chilled food, it comes with a lot of rules and regulations. Because dry ice is dangerous, make sure that packages that contain it are clearly marked and that you follow all shipping and safety rules.

Additionally, make sure that the dry ice does not touch any food or skin directly. This mistake can lead to numbness and freezer burn, and it will also make your food taste worse.
Here are some questions that people often have about sending food with dry ice.
What Is Dry Ice?
Ice is water that has turned solid. Dry ice is carbon dioxide that has turned solid. It’s made when carbon dioxide gas freezes at very low temperatures, which makes it great for shipping chilled or frozen goods because it keeps them cold. In addition, when it melts, it doesn’t make water.
How Long Does Dry Ice Last?
How long your dry ice will last varies on how it is stored, so there is no exact answer. When kept in the right way, dry ice can last anywhere from one to three days. Dry ice in large amounts can last for five days. A few hours will pass if you leave dry ice out in the open.
How Cold Is Dry Ice?
It is -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit on dry ice. Care should be taken when touching bare skin because it can cause serious frostbite.
How to Dispose of Dry Ice?
Dry ice should not be thrown away or flushed down the drain. Place the dry ice in an open area with good airflow instead. In a few hours, it will turn into petrol.
How to Store Dry Ice?
Dry ice shouldn’t be kept in the fridge or freezer because those places are too warm for it. Keep dry ice in a cooler or a foam container that keeps heat in. The lid shouldn’t be sealed because the dry ice stays cold when it has enough airflow.
Where Can I Get Dry Ice?
Retailers and meat shops sell dry ice. You will need more dry ice if your package is bigger. The dry ice should be around the food to freeze it evenly, but it shouldn’t touch the food directly.
How Much Does Dry Ice Cost?
Costs between $1 and $3 per pound most of the time. Dry ice comes in different shapes and sizes, like snow, pellets, and blocks.
My Experience
Balancing Speed & Cost
Most businesses that do this start by shipping via 1–2 day shipping. You might be able to send ground service in your state, but not on the weekend.
You might need to ship to the other side of the country the next day or the day after. This is because the ice packs and frozen items will take longer to thaw.
Keeping Your Food Cold
You will also need a good shipping container that keeps things warm. The brand we sell comes in a white box that says “rush, refrigerated goods.”

Inside the cardboard box is a 1.5-inch thick Styrofoam box or cooler. Putting this together with your cold food and ice packs is the best way to get what you want.
When Ground Shipping Isn’t Enough
It can be very pricey to use insulated shipping crates and ship things quickly. In states near to you, delivery times are shorter, so ship by ground whenever you can.
Local Delivery? Cooler & Driver Might Be Your Answer
You should move if you want to. If it’s 15, 90 miles away, a cooler and a driver might be best.
Refrigerated Box Trucks for Larger Needs
If you want to drop ship 600 frozen pizzas to 10 different convenience shops across a city every week, you should use a refrigerated box truck.
Crossing Borders & States
If you want to send 40,000 frozen pizzas from Camden, NJ to France or Detroit, then an intermodal chilled container is probably the best way to do it.
Choosing the Right Cost-Effective Option
There are also truck trailers that can keep things cool. Each day and each hookup, these cost less than intermodal bins.

They do, however, cost more per mile if the place can be reached by train or if both the final destination and the starting point are close to a big rail or sea shipping hub. There is an interesting chart that can help you figure out which is better for your situation.
However, unless you ship a lot of frozen pizza (or other cold goods) on a regular basis, the difference between the two for a one-time shipment is probably not that important, and a reefer tractor-trailer is usually the better option.
Small Electric Cooler? Pre-Chill Your Food for Optimal Performance
If you are using a small electric cooler, cool the food down before you take it with you and then put it in the cooler after it has had time to cool down inside.
Final Words
When you ship frozen food, you need to pay close attention to every detail and follow the right steps for packaging and treating it.
You can make sure that your frozen goods get to their destination safely and at the right temperature by knowing the challenges, picking the right packing materials and carrier, and making sure that the food is properly prepared.
To keep the food fresh and give the buyer a good experience, make sure that temperature control is a top priority during the shipping process. Remember these tips, and you’ll be able to ship frozen food to any place with ease.