HOW FAST DOES ICE CREAM MELT?
February 8, 2023
A guide to transporting frozen products and the perfect ice cream delivery.
Have you considered how many items have to be shipped and handled at a particular temperature? Well, at Simple Logistics, we do! These are the details that keep us up at night. Many products (not just cold and frozen items) must be handled, stored, and shipped at very specific temperatures. Since shipping refrigerated products is one of our specialties, we spend extra time planning for these details.
How to get the ice cream delivered? Here are some of our tips on how to safely transport ice cream throughout the trip.
PREP YOUR TRUCK:
Only a refrigerated truck, also called a reefer, that goes through regular inspections should be used. The driver should always pre-cool the truck to -10 before loading the product, to make sure their equipment is functioning correctly. The higher the temperature, the faster bacteria can multiply. Freezing food prevents harmful bacteria from growing as long as the temperature is carefully maintained. In general, ice cream should be kept at a temperature between -10 to -20 and should never be warmer than 0°F.
PREP THE ICE CREAM:
Always pre-cool the product before loading it into the vehicle. Reefer trucks are designed to maintain temperatures, not to lower the product’s temperature. This is particularly important with produce that has a high rate of respiration.
KEEP RECORDS:
Keeping a record of what the temperature was on receipt and a log of how it was transported is important. Congress enacted the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to ensure the safety of our food supply and to prevent foodborne illness. The FSMA rules are designed to make clear specific actions that must be taken at each of these points to prevent contamination. These rules include the maintenance of records of written procedures, agreements, and training (required of carriers).
CHECK YOUR TEMPERATURE SETTINGS:
Finally, once the ice cream is loaded, the delivery vehicle is monitored for temperature and other environmental changes throughout the delivery route. Drivers check special sensors throughout their trip to make sure the temperature inside the truck is just right. They use a setting called “continuous” to keep the truck from getting too warm or too cold. With this setting, the truck will regularly defrost to make sure ice and frost don’t build up.
ICE, ICE, STORAGE BABY:
Sometimes the ice cream needs to be stored before it is delivered. If you have to use cold storage along the way, there are a wide variety of refrigerated warehouses. It is important to select a warehouse that has the proper facility, technology, and staff to care for your precious cream while it is stored. We have a network of facilities we routinely use.
GET IT THERE FAST:
On-time deliveries are always ideal. With frozen goods, timing is even more critical. We take great pride in delivering the best quality ice cream for our customers. By following these steps, we work to ensure that when the order arrives, it will be as close to perfect as possible.
WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM AT SIMPLE LOGISTICS!
Work with highly trained staff who specialize in temperature-controlled freight. Having a team of experts as part of your cold chain logistics can save you a lot of time and headaches. Simple Logistics was founded on our frozen food expertise. See how we can help deliver your next frozen shipment! Call us at 630-385-7400!
It’s wonderful to know that only a refrigerated vehicle, also known as a reefer, should be utilized and that these trucks should undergo routine inspections. As you mentioned, in order to ensure that their equipment is in working order, the driver should always pre-cool the truck to -10 before loading the merchandise. My uncle probably wishes he had known about this sooner since I’ve heard he requires a reefer repair specialist after spoiling the majority of the perishables within.
Recently, my sister began working on starting a catering company, so she’s looking for the right transportation for her company. I liked that you explained how reefer trucks are designed to maintain temperatures, and I believe my sister will do too. Thanks for the insight on preparing your product before loading it into a reefer truck.
I run a homemade ice cream business in Delta, and I was thinking of accepting orders for delivery once I find a mobile freezer trailer to rent for it soon. It’s good that you advised us to monitor the temperature and other environmental changes throughout the delivery route once the items have been loaded to ensure the temperature settings inside the trailer are just right. I’ll keep this in mind while I look for a mobile freezer trailer for rent here in Delta to use for my business soon.