Using a refrigerated warehouse to store frozen food is economical, efficient and safe, when executed correctly. While you may think that it’s as easy as shipping your frozen goods to the warehouse and packing them away securely, much more must be done to ensure that the food remains safe to distribute and eat. Cold storage facilities allow you to store your items in the correct preservative atmosphere, so you can be confident that your clients are getting high-quality goods. 

How to Properly Pack Food in Cold Storage 

Health Hazards

There are three main potential hazards to avoid when keeping food in a cold storage warehouse: cross contamination, temperature, and pest control.

Cross contamination happens when one item comes in contact with traces of another, transferring potential bacteria across multiple products. Not only does this put your company at risk for major lawsuits, but it can also be extremely harmful to unsuspecting clients who consume the items. 

The temperature in the warehouse also plays a major role in the safety of the food. To be properly housed in a cold storage facility, the temperature must stay below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Frozen food temperature must be at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit to meet its shelf life expectancy and be safe enough to distribute. 

Finally, pest control measures must be actively pursued, so parasites and bugs don’t make their way into the products. If the facility is improperly cleaned or items are held in a previously infested area, they become a liability for your company.

Preventative Practice

To keep your frozen or refrigerated food items in pristine condition, you must take strategic preventative measures. Start by mapping out exactly where you plan to store all of your content in relation to the other inventory. For instance, pack dry goods with other dry goods, so you won’t have spills or accidental cross contamination. Each item should be properly sealed and wrapped individually to keep pests out. Keep items on pallets a few feet away from the wall where any rodent activity can be more easily spotted and eradicated. 

The rotation of food items in and out of the facility matters as well. Any products that you have stored should be shipped on a first-in, first-out basis to reduce the possibility of contamination or spoilage.

Finding the right cold storage facility to work with means trusting that they adhere to strict industry safety and health codes. In Honolulu, HI, that means working with Unicold Corporation. Since 1962, this frozen food shipping company has made every effort to provide the cleanest and most closely monitored warehouses available. Each employee is highly trained in industry legal standards and focused on checking every order for quality and safety. For more information about their frozen food storage, visit them online or call (808) 836-2931.