Cold packs for shipping food and meal boxes
With cold packs for shipping food we mean a sealed bag of gel that you freeze and place in the box with your products. It keeps meat, fish, dairy and ready-made meals cool without meltwater, and it is non-toxic and safe in direct contact with food. Below you will read why a gel pack for food is an alternative to loose ice, which size suits a meal box and what else you need.
Why a gel pack for food and not loose ice?
A gel ice pack for food is a sealed bag of gel that you freeze first. Only then does it go in the box with the product.
Loose ice melts into water. A gel pack for food stays solid, even when it thaws. The pack does not leak, and if it is damaged the gel stays in the bag.
This matters most where hygiene and product condition weigh heavily. In the fish industry, ice packs are often used as an alternative to loose ice, precisely because meltwater is unwanted there. The same goes for food boxes and for mail shipping of meat. You can read more about the packing itself in our article on shipping food refrigerated.
Which food suits an ice pack?
Our product data mentions these applications for ice packs:
- Meat, dairy, fish and ready-made meals in the food industry.
- Meal boxes and food parcels.
- Fresh fish, also by air freight, where crushed ice cannot be used.
- Fruit and vegetables, where the pack reduces temperature fluctuations.
- Organic food products.
Both refrigerated and deep-frozen shipping are possible, but whether the setup stays cool long enough depends on the box, the number of packs and the environment.
Reusable ice packs for food: how often can you use them?
Reusable ice packs for food are the same gel pack with us, made of sturdy PE, which can be used several times. We do not state an exact number of times. If you want a version that lasts hundreds of cycles, look at the rigid cooling elements. They have a sturdy plastic housing and come in 200, 400 and 750 g. In daily logistics processes they are used more often than gel packs.
Cooling elements for a meal box: which size do you choose?
A small meal box or a package with fish fillets suits 200 g. Standard shipments with a medium-sized box suit 400 g, the best-selling size. For larger boxes and shipments of several days there is 750 g. For those who mainly want flexible cooling, gel packs are available in 200 to 1,000 g:
| Gel pack weight | Size | Per master carton |
|---|---|---|
| 200 g | 120 x 150 mm | 80 pcs |
| 300 g | 120 x 180 mm | 60 pcs |
| 400 g | 120 x 210 mm | 40 pcs |
| 500 g | 120 x 220 mm | 35 pcs |
| 600 g | 120 x 240 mm | 30 pcs |
| 1,000 g | 150 x 275 mm | 18 pcs |
For small portions such as sushi, individual meals or fish packages there is also a flat alternative: the ice pack sheets. You place such a sheet as a base or as a top layer in the box.
What determines how long your food stays cool?
For meal boxes and food parcels the same applies as for fish and meat: the combination of pack and insulation determines how long the box stays cool.
Combine the packs with an EPS box or an insulated bag.
An example from our data: a 400 g gel pack in a thick-walled EPS box stayed well below freezing after 12 hours at a constant ambient temperature of 25 °C, and still below 0 °C after 24 hours. The temperature stayed below 0 °C for up to about 30 hours. After that the box warmed up slowly, but it stayed below 8 °C for up to 48 hours. That applies to that one setup and is not a promise for yours. You can calculate how many packs you need with our calculation formula for gel packs.
Frequently asked questions about ice packs for food
Are ice packs safe in direct contact with food?
Our gel packs are non-toxic and safe in direct contact with food. Even if a pack is damaged, the gel stays in the packaging.
Can I reuse a gel pack for food?
Yes, the packs can be used several times. Rigid cooling elements are made for intensive reuse and can last hundreds of cycles.
How many cooling elements do I need per meal box?
That depends on the box, the transit time and the environment. We do not give a fixed number.
Ordering ice packs for food
All sizes are available straight from stock, from our own production since 1972. Order by 14:00 and the order ships the same day. Take a look at the ice packs or first read more about shipping meal boxes cool.
You will find all names for this product in our glossary.
