How to Ship Fresh Produce

Shipping fresh produce can be complicated because there’s a time limit before it goes rotten. For your products to successfully arrive at their destinations, you must carefully plan every stage of your shipping and fulfillment processes.

Whether you’re a grocery provider or a farmer shipping fresh produce, you’ll need to find the perfect packaging and a reliable courier to ensure your deliveries remain fresh and undamaged during transit.

To keep your fresh produce safe, here are some key steps to take when packing and shipping your deliveries.

Choose Your Best Produce

To keep your customers happy and maintain a great reputation, you’ll need to practice some quality control. Choose only the best fruits and vegetables that are not bruised or overripe.

Before packing and shipping your produce, wash and dry them thoroughly to reduce the risk of contamination with dirt and microorganisms.

Consider the Packaging You’re Going to Use

There is an endless number of packaging options nowadays, some of which are better suited for shipping fresh produce than others. Using the appropriate packaging is essential for protecting your fresh produce from spoiling or getting bruised during transit.

Insulated packaging is great for fresh produce, as is temperature-controlled packaging that maintains the most optimal environment for foods. You should use boxes, crates, or cartons for the external packaging and bubble wrap or foam padding on the inside to protect the produce from spoiling.

Provide Documentation

You’ll need to include certain documentation with your deliveries, including shipment details and item specifications. Documentation helps you keep accurate records and keeps your customers informed of your delivery processes.

You can also include branded leaflets or promotional letters in your deliveries to encourage your customers to make repeat purchases and continue their healthy eating journeys. Branded documentation also reinforces your brand reputation and company values.

Label Your Packages Appropriately

Labelling your deliveries is key to staying organized and ensuring they all arrive safely and on time to their destinations. You should clearly label each package with the name of the produce.

Consider including information about the date you packaged the produce and the estimated use-by date on your labels. You can also provide details about proper handling instructions so your chosen courier knows how to keep your packages safe.

Choose a Reliable Courier

Speaking of couriers, this is another vital thing to consider when shipping fresh produce. A reliable and trusted courier will ensure that your parcels arrive where they’re supposed to and when they’re supposed to, free of damage.

Choose a courier that offers tracked and signed delivery options. This way, you and your customers can monitor their parcel’s progress from shipment to delivery. Signed deliveries provide an extra layer of protection by confirming parcel delivery to the correct customers.

It’s also best to choose a courier that offers next day delivery, as fresh produce can quickly spoil during transit. Next day delivery guarantees that your customers receive their orders while your produce is still bright and fresh.