The shipping of perishable goods accounts for a large proportion of UK imports and exports. 

As you can imagine, businesses shipping perishables must take into consideration many  unique requirements to ensure their goods are received as they should be.

This blog looks at what it takes to move perishable items safely around the world. First, let’s cover the basics.

What Are Perishable Goods?

Perishable goods are items that have a limited lifespan. Shipping perishables requires specialist equipment because perishable goods can spoil or grow harmful bacteria if not stored in a freezer or refrigerated area. 

The obvious perishable goods are food and drink, but there’s a lot more that fall into the category. The main perishable goods that the UK exports are;

• Food and drink. Cheese, salmon and cereals grown in the UK are commonly exported to other countries, with whiskey being the largest export.
• Medication. Two major pharmaceutical businesses are based in the UK, meaning their products are needed regularly.
• Flowers. In the UK, we grow a great variety of both cut flowers and indoor plants, and we’re the world’s biggest grower of cut-flower daffodils.  
• Chemicals. Oil and organic chemicals both sit under this term.
• Cosmetics. Nearly 5 billion pounds worth of cosmetics were exported from the UK in 2021.

Key Considerations For Shipping Perishable Goods

Whatever type of goods you’re shipping, you want them to arrive in prime condition. But any sized business shipping perishables can come up against many challenges; staleness, excess humidity, delays, and equipment failure could all cause your cargo to go off or deteriorate.

When it comes to shipping perishables, there are lots to consider to ensure you don’t lose your goods or your capital. 

Temperature Control

Perishable goods are temperature-sensitive, and the optimal temperature varies from item to item – too cold can be just as damaging as too hot. When shipping perishables over long distances, they need to be transported in refrigerated containers known as ‘reefers’.

Standard reefers can maintain a temperature of between -25° C and +25° C, but some specialist containers can even go down to -70° C.

Speed

Shipping perishables means shipping fast. Some items have a much more limited lifespan that can’t be preserved in the same way that some foods can like flowers, so it’s extra important to avoid customs delays and port holdups.

Proper Packing

Businesses big and small know that packing is always important, but never more so than with items that can spoil if exposed or not well protected against bumps in transit.

Regulations

Some items, especially chemicals, may have regulations to adhere to – and these could vary from country to country – especially if they are considered hazardous. The regulations governing perishables are always changing, and failure to comply can result in your cargo being rejected or even destroyed. 

Costs

Shipping perishables takes more planning and management and requires specialist containers, handling measures and in-transit care. These factors bump up the cost for shipping companies which must then try to shift the cost onto consumers.

Packaging Perishables For Shipping

As mentioned, the packaging is a key element in maintaining the integrity of your perishables so that they arrive with their buyer in pristine condition. 

Proper packing is different for non-refrigerated, refrigerated and frozen goods. To prevent damage, perishables are best shipped in both an outer box as well as inner packaging. The onus is on you to ensure correct packing.

Outer Packaging

Outer packaging needs to be sturdy. Wooden, styrofoam, glass, plastic and corrugated cardboard are all strong materials that can, in crate or box form, be stacked efficiently and handled without risk of damage. 

Inner Packaging

Packaging for individual perishable items is highly dependent on the nature of the goods. 

Apples, for example, can be wrapped singularly in breathable packing materials and placed in a corrugated cardboard box or lightweight styrofoam container with others, ensuring plenty of padding in between to prevent bumps and bruises in transit. 

Refrigerated and frozen foods usually need to be secured inside airtight bags and then stored in containers that will maintain the correct temperature to prevent them from spoiling. 

Cooling

There are various ways of keeping perishable goods cool. Dry ice, gel packs and insulated boxes – commonly a combination of these –  all work to maintain the quality of perishable goods whilst they’re travelling to their destination. 

Labelling

Labelling your perishables is as important as proper packing. By marking the box with the word ‘perishable’ in bold, large font, as well as ‘this way up’ and ‘fragile’ if applicable, you can be sure your cargo will be handled correctly to minimise potential damage. 

How Perishable Goods Are Transported

Perishable goods must be properly looked after to ensure they remain unspoiled, and the series of actions and equipment involved in getting temperature-sensitive perishables from harvest or production to consumption is called the cold chain.

By Air

We know that air freight is the fastest method of getting your goods from A to B. It’s also the most secure way of transporting perishable goods, and you also benefit from reliable arrival and departure times.

Unlike goods travelling on the ocean or by road or rail, all journeys by plane are unbroken, meaning there is less chance of complications. 

For more about air freight, read this blog. 

By Land

Reefer containers are often used for shipping temperature-sensitive products by road or rail. 

This is a reliable mode of transport for shipping perishables, but it is better for shorter distances. If you’re wondering whether road freight is right for you, have a look at this. 

By Sea

Shipping perishables using container vessels isn’t usually recommended given the amount of time it can take, but frozen goods and some fruit, like bananas that are shipped to the UK using reefer containers, are fine to travel this way.

Shipping by sea is the more economical method of getting your perishables to their destination. We’ve written a great blog about sea freight – read it here. 

Shipping Perishables? Use A Freight Forwarder To Avoid Mistakes

Shipping perishable goods can feel like hard work because there is so much to think about. 

By partnering with a freight forwarder, you have peace of mind and the expert guidance you need to ensure that shipping your perishables is done right.

Contact Millennium today for no-pressure, no-fuss advice and let us take the stress out of shipping perishable goods.