How do I Ship Perishable Food?

Sometimes the type of ocean freight container used to ship international cargo depends on the specific type of good you are transporting. Food is one type of cargo that falls under this description. If you are shipping non-perishable food, a standard container might be fine for your shipment. But if you are shipping a perishable food item, you might need to get a refrigerated container (also called by many as a reefer container). The reason for a refrigerated container is because a standard container lacks the necessary utilities to maintain certain temperatures for transporting perishable food.

For temperature sensitive ocean cargo shipments, a refrigerated container is for you. This type of container contains the machines to control the temperature inside. For example, frozen shipments can be shipped inside and set to the exact temperature of your choice. As a shipper, you must specify to your freight forwarder the exact temperature needed for your shipment. Many refrigerated containers can get as cold as 50 degrees Celsius. Some of these containers can also be used to control warm cargo, but that is rare.

Inside of the refrigerated container, there is watering cooling system to prevent overheating. Just like standard containers, these refrigerated containers are available for shipping in two sizes – 20 feet or 40 feet. However, unlike standard containers, the refrigerated containers have the extra machines inside, thus there is less space inside of a refrigerated container than a standard container of the same size. Still, refrigerated containers are an important part of the food transportation industry.