What is the best way to ship meat?

Shipping meat involves certain riskou2019s as there is a chance that the meat may lose its quality during its transportation. This can have harmful effects on consumer health.

The Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (Commodities Act Decree on the Preparation and Handling of Foodstuffs) lays down the conditions for the transport of meat, among other things. Here you can read which conditions you need to take into account and the best way to ship meat.

Ship chilled meat

Ship chilled meat
The aforementioned Commodities Act Decree states that chilled products should be stored at a temperature of no more than 7 u00b0C. When shipping chilled meat, it is best to keep a temperature between 3 and 5 u00b0C because meat retains its quality best at those temperatures. When meat retains its quality, you protect the consumer against possible health risks. Moreover, you avoid unnecessary costs by shipping meat at the right temperature. This is because then the supervisor of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) does not have to fine you while carrying out checks. Don't say I didn't warn you!

But how do you ensure that you are indeed protecting the consumer (and actually your own wallet)? By using cooling elements and certain packaging materials, chilled meat can maintain its temperature. For packaging chilled meat, it is best to use EPS (Styrofoam) boxes. Due to their insulating walls, EPS boxes keep the meat at the right temperature. Moreover, good packaging protects the meat from moisture and contamination. Icepacks/gel packs can also be used for chilled meat shipments. These cooling elements can be cooled to the desired temperature before the meat is packed. Besides gel packs, one can also use, for example, cooling bags to keep the temperature of meat at the desired level during shipping. Cooling bags can be made according to specific dimensions and are easily disposable for consumers.

Products to ship meat safely

Shipping meat frozen

To ensure that meat retains its quality during shipping, meat is also regularly shipped frozen. Sending frozen meat is subject to different conditions from sending chilled meat. According to the Commodities Act Decree, frozen meat must be stored at -18 u00b0C or colder. Thereby, the temperature of the meat during its transportation may not exceed -15 u00b0C for a short time only. During local distribution, a temperature of not more than 3 u00b0C is allowed.

Regarding the use of transport means, it is best to use form-fast cooling elements if the means are also returning. Moulded cooling elements are made of strong material and are easy to clean. This makes them suitable for reuse and thus also good for the wallet. Thus, maintaining the quality of meat while shipping it does not have to cost too much money.