Packaging is crucial for maintaining food safety and quality in the food industry. However, packing frozen food can be particularly difficult since there are so many crucial factors to take into account. To help you get started, we'll walk you through the many frozen food packaging alternatives that you can use to ship frozen foods.
Types Of Frozen Food Packaging Materials
There are many different types of packaging that are used when shipping frozen foods. The following is a list of the most popular types:
1) Shrink Film
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Shrink film, often known as shrink wrap, is the most common material used in the food packaging industry. The three materials that are most usually used to make shrink film are polyolefin, polyethylene, or polyvinyl chloride. In the food packaging sector, the material polyolefin is preferred. This material is FDA approved and is most commonly used for packaging frozen items including fruit, vegetables, baked goods, pies, cakes, and pizza.
2) Skin Packaging
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Skin packs or skin packaging use unique food packaging technology to ensure food safety. This type of packaging consists of a vacuum membrane that tightly encloses the product to keep out contaminants.
Skin packs are not only safe but also light, which minimizes the cost of shipping. It is frequently used to package frozen fish, beef, chicken, and pork.
3) SBS Chipboard
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Chipboard boxes, which are sometimes mistaken for cardboard are often used for the packing of pies, vegetables, pizza, cakes, and many other types of frozen food products. This type of material is strong, long-lasting, and FDA-approved, making it ideal for shipping frozen goods.
4) Glass
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Glass is used to package several products, such as gourmet ice cream, gelato, frozen fruits, etc. This kind of packaging is classified as luxury packaging due to its fragility and weight, which necessitates more expensive shipping. Despite its expense and weight, glass prevents contamination of frozen food. Because of this, it is the best choice for long-distance deliveries.
5) Flexible Packaging Pouches
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Flexible packaging pouches are made of food-grade plastic and are commonly used to ship a variety of frozen foods, especially frozen vegetables and meats. This type of plastic packaging material is preferred by shippers since it takes up much less space and costs far less than the majority of the alternatives mentioned above. Additionally, they weigh a lot less, which considerably reduces shipping costs.
6) Aluminum
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Aluminum is another material that is frequently used to package frozen food. Foods like lasagna and Salisbury steaks are frequently packaged in this material in addition to many other products. In the case of frozen foods, aluminum is used at the bottom in the form of a pan and a cardboard top slides on top of it. The cardboard stays in place with foil tabs that are on either side of the pan.
Since it is lightweight, flexible, hygienic, and non-toxic, aluminum is a preferred material used to ship frozen food. Additionally, it maintains food quality till the last mile while shielding it from UV rays, oil, and water vapor.
7) Wax-Coated Cardboard
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Usually, wax-coated cardboard is used to package frozen foods that are heated inside their food containers. It is widely used as packaging for frozen Chinese food. Due to their heat tolerance, they can withstand high microwave temperatures. In addition to being heat resistant, wax-coated cardboard is robust and adaptable which makes them an ideal option for shipping frozen food.
How to Pick the Ideal Material for Shipping Frozen Food
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Consider the following factors if you're unsure of what type of food packing to use for shipping frozen foods:
Leakproof: The material should be able to prevent food leaks.
Sturdy: The material must be able to withstand the strain that will be placed on it during loading, transportation, and unloading.
Food-Grade: To avoid chemical reactions that can lower the quality of the food product, the material must be food-safe.
Airtight: Your chosen material should be able to keep out air and moisture, which can lead to food spoilage.
How to Pack Frozen Foods for Shipping
While choosing the right packing for shipping your frozen food items is essential, you should also keep in mind the following tips if you want your products to stay fresher for longer in transit:
1) Place the Frozen Food Product in an Insulated Box
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To ensure that your frozen food item stays chilled throughout delivery, place it in an insulated box. Insulated boxes guarantee that frozen goods stay colder for longer by reducing the amount of heat that can enter the interior of the box.
2) Use Insulated Liners
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If you don't want to spend money on an insulated box, try using thermal liners with a regular corrugated box. They will give your products an additional layer of padding in addition to offering nearly the same level of security as an insulated box.
3) Pack the Frozen Product With Dry Ice Packs
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While you can pack frozen food with regular ice, dry ice packs are far better since they do not melt and compromise the quality of the food. Furthermore, they have a longer shelf life than ordinary ice, which is a crucial consideration if you're transporting frozen foods across long distances.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship Frozen Food?
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The cost of shipping frozen foods cannot be estimated using a fixed pricing chart. The cost varies on a number of elements, including the shelf life of the product, the places where it will be delivered, the total weight of your shipment, and the route selected. In general, the price per few pounds can often range from $30 to $150, though it can be higher or lower.
Summary
There you have it - the types of food packaging materials that are used to ship frozen products. When choosing the type of material to ship frozen foods, make sure to consider the factors above to ensure the utmost quality of your product.
While choosing your food packaging material is essential, packing your frozen products with insulated materials and refrigerants to maintain a low temperature is equally important. If you're looking for dry ice packs, thermal liners, and insulated shipping boxes that you can use to ship frozen foods, Nice Packs has you covered. Shop with us today.
