Shipping fresh meat chilled: how to do it safely
Chilled shipping for fresh meat: how to do it safely
Shipping fresh meat requires strict temperature control. A disrupted cold chain can lead to spoilage, food safety risks, and dissatisfied customers. In this blog, you will learn how to ship fresh meat safely and effectively using chilled shipping.
The temperature requirement for fresh meat
Fresh meat must remain below 4°C during transport. Frozen meat requires temperatures below -18°C. Exceeding these values — even briefly — can cause microbiological growth.
Choosing the right packaging
For fresh meat, we recommend the following combination:
- Polystyrene Box or honeycomb cooling box as insulating outer packaging
- Vacuum-packed meat in food-grade film
- Gel packs (ice packs) placed around the product — inserted frozen
- Absorbent pad on the bottom to absorb any released moisture
- Cooling bag or insulated liner as an additional insulating layer
Calculation: how much ice do I need?
A rule of thumb: per kilo of meat, use at least 200 grams of gel pack for 24 hours of transport. For 48 hours of transport: 400 grams per kilo. At high ambient temperatures (summer), double this amount.
Shipping tips
- Ship on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday — avoid weekend delays
- Clearly apply a ‘Perishable’ label to the box
- Work with a carrier that guarantees fast delivery (PostNL Parcel, DHL Express)
- Clearly communicate the delivery date to the customer
For tailored advice on meat transport, please contact our internal sales team.
Order now
Need the right packaging right away? View our EPS boxes, gel packs, and cold chain packaging for the food sector.
