Foam is used for protecting various items during shipping, including electronics, glassware, plastics, appliances, and many more. The yielding and shock-absorbent nature of the material allows items to arrive without damage. However, an additional less obvious primary use to consider foam packaging for is food transport and storage. Given its many positive characteristics, foam boxes may be the right option to choose for any company needing to transport food safely.
Foam allows refrigeration
Refrigeration units for travel are expensive and bulky. Additionally, they typically only are available in a few different sizes that may or may not be adequate for a variety of uses. Foam, with its waterproof interior, can be filled with ice or dry ice and used easily as a refrigeration unit for food storage. Foam boxes are ideal for transporting delicate food items like vegetables and fruits. With proper packing, they can arrive their destination unbruised and unmarked, completely fresh.
Attempting to move these items in crates or other transport units has the potential for spoilage, particularly over the long period. Foam, on the other hand, insulates these materials well enough to prevent item spoilage for hours or even days. This may double the shelf life of the fruits and vegetables once they reach their destination, allowing companies to provide products to their consumers that stay fresher for longer.
Foam is lightweight
Coolers and other large units and crates, apart from being bulky, are often heavy. The bulk of any transport should be the content, and the material used to protect the content. Foam boxes have the benefit of providing high levels of protection for the food items within without adding unnecessary weight. Maintaining lower weight thresholds allows shipping costs to be reduced where possible, and the lack of bulk allows more content in small spaces.
Consider using foam for applications that might involve lifting or carrying food items across any distance. The appeal of a lighter-weighted material will become apparent quickly. The lack of necessary machinery or extra manpower will allow companies to keep costs low when transporting or storing food.
Foam is reusable, though potentially disposable
Foam has the benefit of being easily rinsed out, particularly of debris that may come from vegetables and fruits. Any melted water from ice can be removed and dry ice that remains in the container can be reused. This means that the purchase of foam for food transport, already cost-effective, may have months of usability. Because it is a resilient material, replacement has the potential to be infrequent if maintained.
If, however, the foam cannot be reused, its loss is negligible. It can be used as a delivery system with no hope of retrieval and the margins of loss on this usage will be quite small in comparison to other materials. Additionally, food delivery services use foam in many applications for keeping food at the correct temperature, and the basis for usage is established in many services already. It is, therefore, beneficial to use foam even if there is no potential for reusing.
If any of these purposes appeals to you, foam may be an option for your company. Contact the reliable manufacturer such as Omega Packaging, to explore the various foam products that may suit your needs. Services for customizing the items to your specifications are available, ensuring that you have the exact foam box that you need to store and transport food adequately for your purposes.
