Has any here ever used dry ice to ship perishables before? How did it work out? Anything you wish you had known before you shipped it? Did it have any negative impact on the food or its flavor?
I'm asking for a friend.
No, really.
The dry ice should be put in freezer bags, not touching anything. And all should be in a good think foam cooler. My meds get shopped that way and they are fine.
I've used dry ice to ship fish while on vacation. I've always had a profession pack it though. They don't taste the same as fresh caught but it was pretty close.
One of my daughters travels all over the country as part of her job. She meets research study participants and takes some blood. The blood gets shipped with dry ice back to the lab. It works well for that. Can’t vouch for food though! Also I do the Blue Apron meals. They ship stuff in a cold bag with ice packs. Their meat starts out frozen when shipped I think - but is thawed but still quite cold when the box makes it to me. So depending upon what needs to be shipped you can find a friend that does those and reuse that packing perhaps ?
That depends. I use it to transport perishables that I store FROZEN. Once frozen, cooling farther has been ok for us.
We also ship a lot of biological items on dry ice at work. I've never had it be too cold.
Just be aware, CO2 needs to breathe as it generates gas with time. Also, only work with it in a very well ventilated area. I crack my car windows, just in case.
Dry ice is regulated as a dangerous good. There are specific packing and labeling requirements. See page 12 of attached FedEx instructions.