Giving the gift of food this holiday season? Plan ahead and prepare with helpful tips from MrBoxOnline. We’ve been helping people and businesses prepare perishable items for shipment for nearly 40 years. With the proper packaging and shipment know-how, your perishable gifts will arrive intact, edible and delicious.
Refrigerated or Frozen Food
Take special care when packing and shipping refrigerated or frozen foods to prevent spoilage. To keep the items at a safe temperature:
- Make sure foods start out frozen solid or have been held in a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use one of our stock foam cooler boxes, which are pre-packed inside of a cardboard box. There’s no minimum order and we stock a variety of sizes. So whether you’re a small business owner needing 100 cooler boxes or a mom preparing a care package for her college student, we’ve got you covered.
- Use frozen gel packs or dry ice to keep food cold and safe to eat. Handle dry ice with caution by wearing gloves and don’t let it come in direct contact with food.
- Wrap the food in plastic before placing it with the gel packs or dry ice.
- Use a permanent marker to label the box “Perishable – Keep Refrigerated.”
- Clearly write the recipient’s name and address.
- Use overnight shipping for delivery and make sure someone is home or at the place of business to accept delivery.
Baked goods
Baked goods don’t risk spoilage, but they do risk crumbling or becoming stale. To keep your home-baked treats fresh and in one piece:
- Pack items closely in an airtight tin or container.
- Keep cookies and other items from crumbling inside the container by using wax paper to separate the layers.
- Choose a properly sized corrugated cardboard box. The key is for the containers to fit snuggly in the box and then use Bubble Wrap or packing peanuts to tightly fill the empty spaces.
- Tape the box securely with durable packing tape and use a permanent marker to label the box as “Perishable.”
- Clearly write the recipient’s name and address.
- Plan to ship earlier in the week so your package doesn’t sit in a mailing facility over the weekend.
- Let the recipient know a perishable gift is on the way so someone is there to accept your package.
Helpful shipping tip:
Check the UPS 2015 holiday delivery schedule here and the FedEx holiday delivery schedule here. Plan ahead so you aren’t paying top dollar for delivery!
Have questions about how to package your holiday food gifts for shipment? We’re happy to help. Call us at (800) 231-8806.
