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Fresh Horizons: Best Practices when Shipping Perishable Goods Internationally
01/08/2024
Classified as any products susceptible to spoilage or decay, or with a limited shelf life after harvest or production, perishable goods are found in much of our everyday life. From delicious baked goods and eggs eaten at breakfast to the cosmetics products you may use to get ready, to the meat, fish, or dairy products you might enjoy at dinner, these commodities are an inherent part of everyday life.
Because of this, perishable goods are continually being produced and transported around the world to meet consumer needs. As a result, and because of their somewhat changeable nature, a series of best practices have been developed by businesses involved in international perishable goods shipping.
Not only does following best practices when shipping perishables help preserve the quality of your cargo and enhance the sustainability of your business by minimizing waste, but also helps build a positive reputation for your brand. Beyond this, implementing best practices for your perishable goods shipping also contributes to your overall supply chain efficiency. By streamlining your processes throughout your perishable shipping solutions, you can help minimize transit times and reduce the chances of delays, enhancing customer satisfaction.
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Steering Clear of Pitfalls in Perishable Goods Shipping
Some of the common challenges faced by businesses shipping perishable goods include:
- Inadequate temperature control.
- Inaccurate documentation.
- Poor packaging choices.
- Failure to comply with regulatory compliance.
- Poor communication and lack of visibility within your supply chain.
Steering Clear of Pitfalls in Perishable Goods Shipping
Some of the common challenges faced by businesses shipping perishable goods include:
- Inadequate temperature control.
- Inaccurate documentation.
- Poor packaging choices.
- Failure to comply with regulatory compliance.
- Poor communication and lack of visibility within your supply chain.
Failing to follow best practices with your perishable shipping solutions can result in product spoilage, financial loss, and damage to your relationship with your customers and your overall brand. Working with a shipping partner who understands the challenges with shipping this type of cargo and has the experience to help you avoid the common pitfalls is a great way to reduce your worries and ensure that best practices are being followed throughout your perishable goods supply chain.
With the potential to be transported by air, road, or sea, several factors are important to consider when it comes to shipping perishable food or other commodities. While the specific requirements may vary depending on the type of perishable cargo, focusing on certain key areas can help enhance your overall perishable cargo shipment success rate.
Perfect Timing: The Art of Perishable Goods Shipping Schedules
No one likes waiting at the best of times, however, when it comes to perishable shipping solutions, waiting can be highly problematic. The time when your cargo is stationary at ports and during customs clearance, as well as the total transportation time, all need to be factored into planning and forecasting your overall perishable cargo supply chain. Similarly, while it’s impossible to prevent delays, it is possible to factor them into your lead time and implement contingency plans for occasions where your cargo becomes unavoidably detained. This level of planning makes your overall supply chain more robust and can help reduce the chances of your entire perishable goods shipment becoming spoiled before it reaches its final destination.
Mastering Packaging
Depending on the type of perishable goods being imported and exported, the packaging required to preserve their quality may vary.
For example, if you’re shipping your perishable cargo by air, you may choose to use expanded polystyrene packages (EPS), or vacuum atmosphere packaging to account for the changes in altitude and prevent spoilage.
Keeping Your Cool: Temperature Control for Sensitive Goods
Regardless of the transportation method you choose, one of the most important elements to consider for your perishable shipping solutions is temperature control. Using reefer containers ensures that your cargo will be kept at the correct temperature throughout its journey. Meat and seafood cargo will be transported at -30 degrees* to prevent spoilage and preserve the freshness and quality of your cargo.
At MSC, our reefer containers are all fitted with vent settings, which can be adjusted according to the nature of your cargo. We also follow Controlled Atmosphere (CA) protocol throughout our reefer cargo shipments, in order to regulate the atmosphere within the container and allow your perishable goods cargo to ‘breathe’ during transportation. This is particularly important when shipping produce such as fruits and vegetables which can become discoloured and overripe if not properly ventilated during shipping
*Meat and seafood cargo should be shipped at the appropriate temperature based on individual shipping requirements.
Managing Moisture When Shipping Perishable Goods
As with temperature control, when it comes to perishable shipping solutions, humidity is a crucial factor to consider. Not only can too much humidity cause mold production, with the result that your cargo becomes spoiled, but too little humidity can cause dehydration. Which again, damages your cargo’s quality and can result in loss of profits for your business.
Managing Moisture When Shipping Perishable Goods
As with temperature control, when it comes to perishable shipping solutions, humidity is a crucial factor to consider. Not only can too much humidity cause mold production, with the result that your cargo becomes spoiled, but too little humidity can cause dehydration. Which again, damages your cargo’s quality and can result in loss of profits for your business.
Empowering Success Through Perishable Commodities Shipment Monitoring
As timing is essential for the successful shipping of perishable goods, implementing a system for real-time monitoring and tracking is invaluable. This enhanced visibility offers you the opportunity to proactively tackle any delays that could impact your perishable goods supply chain.
Similarly, having enhanced monitoring is also hugely beneficial when it comes to temperature control. The systems fitted in reefer containers enable you to monitor and control the temperature of your cargo throughout its journey and will alert you to any changes that could adversely affect the quality of your products.
Navigating Risk Management for Perishable Goods Shipping
Some of the greatest risks to the quality of your perishable goods products include adverse changes in temperature and delays in your overall supply chain. As well as investing in advanced technology, it’s also important to ensure that there are strong channels for communication across your supply chain. This means that in any instances where there are delays or disruptions, you’ll be able to easily communicate with all relevant parties and develop a strategy to quickly overcome or adjust to these challenges.
Ice-Cold Precision: Optimizing End-to-End Cold Chains for Perishable Goods
Ultimately, end-to-end cold chain solutions are important for the shipping of perishable goods because they ensure that your cargo preserves its quality, safety, and freshness from the point of origin to the final destination. There are several ways in which you can enhance your overall cold chain solutions, including:
Pre-trip inspection:
At the depot, reefer cargo experts can carry out a thorough inspection of the container in preparation for loading. This helps you meet the relevant regulatory requirements and retain the sale value of your cargo at its destination.
Ice-Cold Precision: Optimizing End-to-End Cold Chains for Perishable Goods
Ultimately, end-to-end cold chain solutions are important for the shipping of perishable goods because they ensure that your cargo preserves its quality, safety, and freshness from the point of origin to the final destination. There are several ways in which you can enhance your overall cold chain solutions, including:
Pre-trip inspection:
At the depot, reefer cargo experts can carry out a thorough inspection of the container in preparation for loading. This helps you meet the relevant regulatory requirements and retain the sale value of your cargo at its destination.
Cold Storage Warehouses:
Having appropriate cold storage solutions for temperature-sensitive cargo is invaluable when it comes to preserving quality and freshness. At MSC, our temperature-controlled warehouses are designed to provide storage for both frozen and chilled goods until it is transported to its final destination.
Pick-up and Loading:
Working with MSC for your cold chain logistics means that our team will come to you to load your cargo into our reefer units (20ft or 40ft cubes). All our reefer containers are controlled by an integrated microprocessor, enabling fresh air adjustment and dehumidification. Similarly, the CFC-free insulation we use ensures minimum temperature loss, so you can rest assured your cargo remains at the correct temperature throughout transportation.
Inland Transportation:
During overland transportation, we also utilise generators to keep your container operating at the required temperature.
Customs Clearance
Whether you are importing or exporting perishable goods, ensuring you have all the correct documentation to avoid delays at customs clearance is vital. At MSC, our experienced team knows which regulations apply and which documents to submit to ensure you have a speedy customs clearance process.
Elevating Your E-Commerce Shipping with MSC
Preserving quality and preventing spoilage are vital for the successful shipment of perishable goods. Prioritizing temperature control, and ensuring your shipments are well planned and monitored is a fantastic way to avoid the potential challenges that come with shipping this type of sensitive cargo and ensuring it arrives at its destination in one piece.
At MSC, we have decades of experience in shipping perishable goods. Our cold chain logistics solutions are second to none, and our continual investment in our digital technologies means that whatever you need to ship, our team can help you find the right solution for your business. Contact us today to find out more.
