Use dry ice for frozen items. Use an insulated foam container with a minimum of 1-1/2"-thick walls. Line the inside of the container with a watertight plastic liner if your item can melt or thaw.
Set one frozen solid gel ice pack inside a sturdy foam insulated box for every 20 pounds of fish you are shipping. The foam insulation slows the melting of the gel ice pack and keeps fish frozen. Shipping times are always estimated and it may be as many as three days before the fish reaches its final location.
Airline Shipping Box is designed to transport your frozen fish for up to 12- to 18 hours with no refrigerant and can be found at many lodges and retailers.
How much does it cost to ship frozen food? For most industries and products, you can expect to pay between $30 and $150 for shipping frozen food packages. Your final frozen food shipping cost depends on how much you're sending, its destination, package weight, and the shipping service you selected.
Arrange your frozen perishables securely inside the insulated container. Place your item inside the container. If you're shipping an item that can melt or thaw, double-bag the item using watertight plastic bags before placing it inside the container. Arrange your item so that there's enough space for dry ice.
Perishable food (frozen)
Food should be tightly sealed in plastic bags to prevent leakage or contamination. Use dry ice or frozen gel packs to maintain the food's temperature. Make sure dry ice does not touch the food. Use a polystyrene box with corrugated cardboard packaging.
Meat, seafood, vegetables and other non-liquid food items are permitted in both carry-on and checked bags. If the food is packed with ice or ice packs in a cooler or other container, the ice or ice packs must be completely frozen when brought through screening.
For dry ice, plan on using 5 to 10 lbs. for each 24-hour period, depending upon the quality of the insulated shipping container. This will keep everything frozen in a container up to 15 quarts in size.
The short answer: botulism develops only at specific temperatures and if there is little to no oxygen present. To eliminate risk, avoid thawing your fish in an intact vacuum package. Botulism toxin, while scary, is easily destroyed by heating your food to at least 185℉ for five minutes.
Never leave seafood or other perishable food out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or for more than 1 hour when temperatures are above 90°F. Bacteria that can cause illness grow quickly at warm temperatures (between 40°F and 140°F).
* Do not add wet ice or dry ice. * Seal the cooler thoroughly with heavy tape, such as duct tape. Mays says if packed properly, and flash frozen commercially, fish will stay frozen three days in a Lo Boy cooler. If you have a short trip home, fish or shrimp can be kept on ice.
When shipping internationally, oxygen should be in sufficient qualities for fish to survive for at least 48 hours. Ornamental fish is usually moved to a holding facility prior to shipping. Upon arrival, it must be checked for fungal patches, ulcers, ragged fins, and parasites.
Gel packs and dry ice are the best options for keeping your food cool in transit. In general, use dry ice for ice cream and other foods you want to keep frozen, and gel packs to keep food between 32 and 60 degrees F.
Fish need oxygen to survive and oxygen is actually hard to dissolve in water. During shipping, it is easy for the fish to consume more oxygen than is being replenished by diffusion unless you use a concentrated source and provide enough to last for the duration of the shipment.
You can ship live fish with USPS if the fish can fit inside the Postal Service's box size regulations, and if you use enough packing material to fully absorb any leaks. Shipping live fish with the US Postal Service is fairly simple, and we've listed the basics for you below.
Frozen fish delivered to a destination where they are to be sold immediately are likely to be consumed within a few hours and no harm is done if they are partially thawed on arrival at their destination. The frozen fish may in fact be carried in uninsulated containers depending on how long the journey takes.
Live fish in water and a clear transparent container are allowed after inspection by the TSA officer. For more prohibited items, please go to the 'What Can I Bring?' page.
Freezing will not kill bacteria, but only places them in a hibernation state. These micro-organisms will reactivate and grow once thawing begins.
Frozen meats can be safely shipped by US Mail, UPS, FedEx and other private carriers by using overnight or 2nd Day shipping. Meats must be packed in a Styrofoam cooler to keep meats frozen. They must also be packed with dry ice to keep the inside of the shipment cold. You cannot ship meats using regular ice!
We're here to make shipping frozen items easier - from healthcare essentials to frozen foods. We know that frozen products require strict temperature control to remain viable, and each of our solutions provide the reliable shipping you need.
Perishable items are materials that can deteriorate in the mail, such as live animals, food, and plants. Permissible perishable items are sent at the mailer's own risk. These items must be specially packaged and mailed so that they arrive before they begin to deteriorate.