Shipping perishables

Shipping Meal Kits Brings New Logistical Challenges

By May 31, 2022 No Comments

The market for the delivery of items direct to customer doors has grown considerably due to the pandemic. One industry that has grown a lot because of this is the burgeoning “meal kit” market. A meal kit occupies a space between food delivered from restaurants and groceries either bought at a store or delivered to a home. It’s a specific collection of raw ingredients in the proportions required for a particular recipe so that customers can prepare the meal at home by themselves.

However, meal kits have specific challenges that need to be addressed by solutions like a thermal blanket for food transportation.

The Long Haul

Unlike ordering delivery from a restaurant, a meal kit is often not a local order and thus is not as easily delivered as having a courier go down to a local facility, pick up some hot food and drive it over to its destination. Meal kits can originate in California and be ordered by customers in Maine. In other words, they have to be shipped and thus have the same logistics consideration as other types of cargo.

Physical Protection

Packaging that gives adequate physical protection to the meal kit is important. Unlike a courier-delivered pizza or take-out order, which requires only a basic bag, plastic, or cardboard packaging to allow for easy carrying while the food is delivered, meal kits must be shipped to far-flung destinations. They may spend days packed with other goods.

Temperature Protection For Meal Kits

The other factor is maintaining a viable temperature. Meal kits consist of raw ingredients, which means that heat or cold exposure can spoil the food and make it less tasty or even unsafe for consumption. A thermal blanket for food transportation can be crucial here. The thermal blanket for food transportation retains the initial shipping temperature without requiring electrical power to do so, making it a cost-effective solution. This can help keep costs down, especially when it comes to meal kit pricing.