Pharmaceutical companies lose an average of $150,000 per small package shipment due to temperature slips. Just a 2°C of temperature variation could completely ruin the pharmaceutical product.
It was high time shipping companies come up with cold shipping solutions for pharmaceutical products, perishable meat, vegetables, fruits and flowers. These solutions ensure temperature-sensitive and perishable products are on constant temperature while in transit.
Temperature control is a vital factor when it comes to cold chain shipping and storage. Here are nine effective biostorage and shipping solutions for perishable products.
Types of Cold Storage and Shipping Products
There are different kinds of cold storage, from thermal insulating packages and small freezer boxes to large storage units.
Refrigerated Containers
Also referred to as a reefer, it’s the most common cold storage option used in the storage of temperature-sensitive products. Refrigerated containers are also an integral part of the intermodal freight transportation as they allow exporters to ship perishable goods across the world with the same quality being delivered to the consumer.
Pharmaceutical- Grade Refrigeration
These are chiller rooms designed to store large quantities of temperature-sensitive goods. They are ideal for use in the pharmaceutical industry such as hospitals and research centers for storage of blood, medicine and other biopharmaceutical products.
Blast Freezers And Chillers
Most blast freezers and chillers have high-speed fans ideal for quick deep-freeze and store of food yet in the distribution chain. It’s an economical solution for big hotels and restaurants looking to rapidly cool food, increasing its shelflife.
Plant-Attached Cold Storage
If you are looking for an in-house cold storage solution, a plant-attached cold storage unit is your ideal option. This biostorage unit allows products to be stored in a temperature-controlled room immediately after they are produced.
Other cold shipping products include:
Foil Insulated Bubble Box Liners
Insulated box liners are simple, cost-effective and easy-to-use insulation bags that shield against heat transfer. The reflective material blocks off 97% of radiant heat while the poly and bubbles reflect conduction and convection heat. More importantly, foil box liners are foldable for easy storage and often made with adhesive strips to ensure an airtight seal.
Cold Shipping Packs
Cold shipping packs are water-based, latex-free shipping refrigerant gel packs designed for storage and cold transportation of the time, temperature and heat-sensitive items. They come in two options, woven and non-woven shipping gel packs which both play an important role in deflecting heat and minimizing condensation.
Foil Bubble Rolls
More like insulated bubble box liners, foil bubble rolls reflect a good amount of radiant heat, with conduction and convection heat reflected by the bubble cushion. The bubble cushion also protects your products against physical damage.
Insulated Expanded Polystyrene Shipping Box
An insulted EPS foam box is a suitable cold storage and shipping solution for fresh and frozen products. It has thick walls to reduce heat loss and features an interlocking lid that perfectly covers the box.
Insulated Metalized Envelopes
Ideal for pharmaceutical storage as well as shipping, an insulated metalized envelope is made with a fine metalized film and thick padded mailers for maximum heat control.
These are some of the common biostorage and shipping solutions you can adopt. However, the application of modern technology throughout the intermodal freight transportation has enabled the use of more advanced systems that keep track of the temperature while products are in transit.
The sensor-based systems allow exporters and shippers to monitor key elements products are likely to be exposed too such as humidity, light and vibration.