How to Ship Frozen Food Internationally: Cold Chain and Reefer Containers

To ship frozen food internationally, freeze the product to -18 °C or colder, load it into a pre-cooled refrigerated container (a reefer), and keep that temperature unbroken from the factory to your cold store. Agree who is responsible at each step, and keep the temperature record.

What the cold chain is

Frozen food shipping depends on the cold chain: the unbroken series of cold storage and cold transport that keeps a product frozen from the plant to the customer. If the product warms up at any point, ice crystals grow, texture and flavour suffer, and bacteria can multiply. Refreezing does not repair the damage, so the goal is to avoid any temperature rise at all.

The reefer container

A reefer is a shipping container with its own cooling unit. It is plugged into power on the ship, at the port and on the truck, and it circulates cold air under and around the cargo. Reefers come in the usual 20-foot and 40-foot sizes. They can be set to many temperatures, so confirm that the setting matches your product. For frozen food this is normally -18 °C or colder.

The golden rule: a reefer holds temperature, it does not freeze

A reefer is built to keep cargo cold, not to cool warm cargo. If you load product that is not yet frozen solid, the unit cannot fix it. Always check that:

• The product has reached -18 °C or colder before it leaves the cold store.
• The container is pre-cooled before loading.
• Loading is quick, so the product spends as little time as possible in warm air.

Preparing the shipment

1. Choose the packing. Use strong cartons that allow air to move, and label them clearly in the language of your market.
2. Inspect the container. The container should be clean, odour-free and checked by the carrier before loading, including the cooling unit.
3. Load correctly. Do not stack above the load line marked in the container, and do not block the air channels, because the cold air has to circulate.
4. Record the temperature. Put a data logger in the load, so you have proof of the temperature for the whole voyage.
5. Seal and document. Seal the door, note the seal number and complete the paperwork.

Set point and monitoring

The set point is the temperature the reefer is told to hold. Most frozen food ships at -18 °C or colder, but some products, such as ice cream or certain seafood, need a lower setting, so ask the manufacturer for the required temperature and put it in the booking. Ask the carrier how the temperature is monitored. Many reefers record the air temperature automatically, and a separate data logger in the cargo shows what the product itself experienced, which is what counts in a claim.

What affects the cost

Freight rates for reefers change with the route, the season, fuel prices and how many refrigerated containers are available. Ask for a quote that lists each charge, and compare these items:

• Sea freight from the loading port to the destination port.
• Reefer plug-in and monitoring charges at the terminals.
• Origin and destination port handling.
• Customs clearance and any inspection fees.
• Cold storage and delivery from the port.

Documents

Requirements vary by country, so check them with your customs broker before you order. Frozen food commonly needs a commercial invoice, a packing list, a bill of lading, a certificate of origin and a health certificate. For meat, add a halal certificate if your market asks for it. Our guide to halal and HACCP certification explains how to check these.

Who is responsible? Trade terms and insurance

The trade term decides who books the freight and when the risk passes to you. Under FOB or CNF the risk passes once the cargo is on board the ship, so a cold-chain failure at sea is yours to claim from the insurer or carrier. A seller is not required to insure the goods under CNF, so consider cargo insurance. Our guide to EXW, FOB and CNF sets this out in detail.

Arrival and clearance

Plan the arrival before the ship sails:

• Book cold storage near the port, so the cargo moves from the container to a freezer without delay.
• Keep the container plugged in at the port, and clear it quickly, because storage, plug-in and container-detention charges add up every day.
• Prepare for inspection by the authorities, which may sample the cargo. Frozen food arriving in the Gulf, the UK, the USA or South Africa is normally checked at the port, so keep your documents and certificates ready.
• Compare the product and the temperature record with your specification as soon as you can.

Common mistakes

• Loading product that is warmer than -18 °C.
• Forgetting to pre-cool the container.
• Loading above the load line or blocking the airflow.
• Skipping the data logger.
• Leaving the container unplugged during a transfer.
• Underestimating the time customs clearance takes.

How we help

We offer international logistics, warehousing, customs clearance agency services and delivery solutions, and we work on EXW, FOB or CNF terms. See our frozen foods collection and meat and poultry collection, such as frozen chicken leg quarters and frozen mangoes. Then send us an inquiry with your product, quantity and destination port.