Shipping Food: What you need to know

Can you ship food to another location? Yes, you can at your risk of course. Shipping food is different from other non-perishable. There are stringent rules that surround the process, and you need to be conversant with the rules and regulations. That said, if you are looking to ship food to your loved one, you need to consider a few factors.

Can you send the package?

Before you can buy the shipping supplies to pack your food, you need to know if you can send the food in the first place. Make sure you are familiar with rules of the Country the recipient lives in. The various countries have different rules and what is acceptable in your country may be prohibited in others.

What mailing service will you use?

It goes without saying that the various mailing services have regulations they use. Take time to familiarize yourself with the shipping regulations of these service providers. They also offer their services at different prices

What do you want to ship?

The regulations for shipping baked, dried or the seafood is different. If you want to ship the perishable goods, make sure you bake them. Buy shipping supplies that are suitable and will keep the food fresh. What you will need is a tight container to package the food. It is important for you to place a cold pack underneath the container. Keep in mind that you cannot ship dry ice via international air mail. Find a box that is the same size as the container.

Never use the duct tape when you are sealing the package. The tape is temperature specific this means that it will melt when exposed to high temperatures and lose its effectiveness in cold temperatures. Use the tape that is designed for packaging.

Make sure that you have secured the box by adding peanuts to the sides. Unless it’s necessary, you need to avoid the food items that require refrigeration. However, you should never ship the box without indicating that it should be refrigerated

When you take the food over to the post mail office, make sure that they give you the tracking number.

If you want to ship the canned and jarred food, check the National Center for Home Food Preservation. You will find information on the canned foods that are classified as unsafe.

Provide the right internal packaging

You need to ensure that the box has a cushion inside to secure the products. If you are shipping fragile items like glass, provide at least two inches of cushion.

Always label the box

Provide the shipping company with the right information. That is, indicate if the box is fragile or if it contains perishable goods. This will help them to store the package well.

Consider the timing

Unless you are shipping by international air mail, you will need to consider the time. Shipping the food on the weekend will affect the lifespan of the food. This is because most of the post mail doesn’t process packages on the weekend. It is recommended that you ship the food during the week.

Inform the recipient

Notify the recipient of the scheduled delivery date. Provide them with details of the type of packaging that you have sent. Provide an instruction manual.

Author: Karl Pickett

Earned praise for implementing toy planes in Africa. Had a brief career lecturing about acne in the aftermarket. Enthusiastic about supervising the production of weebles in Ocean City, NJ. Spent several years supervising the production of hugs in Jacksonville, FL.

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