Innovative Cold Chain Solutions: Leveraging Dry Ice for Food Preservation

Dry ice, or solidified carbon dioxide, is an extremely cold and versatile substance with applications in many industries. In fact, any supply chain that deals with perishable or temperature-sensitive goods — from fresh food to vaccines — is entirely reliant on dry ice for the transportation of goods.

This opaque substance, sold in either pellet or block form, has several benefits over wet ice when it comes to food preservation. It’s often found in domestic, commercial or industrial settings. Let’s take a closer look at what makes it so special. 

Why Dry Ice is Used in Food Preservation

Anyone who works in cold chain solutions will understand how challenging it is to preserve, store, and ship perishable food items. Not only can the product get spoiled, leading to losses for the seller, it can also lose its freshness and nutritional value.

Dry ice has emerged as a game-changer in this regard, solving all these issues with its unique properties. Here are some benefits it offers in food preservation. 

• Prevents Bacteria: Dry ice has a temperature of -109 degrees Fahrenheit, making it one of the coldest available substances on the market. This enables it to stop the growth of bacteria and extend the shelf life of food.  
• No Water Residue: Since, CO2 can’t exist in a liquid state, dry ice sublimes to gas instead of melting like regular ice. This ensures that it doesn’t leave behind any water residue that could contaminate precious food products.
• Contamination-proof: Dry ice is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, ensuring that the food always stays free of contaminants and retains its freshness.
• Improved Packaging: When wet ice melts, it leaves behind a lot of moisture that can damage the packaging of a food product. Dry ice, however, leaves behind no moisture, allowing the packaging to stay intact. 
• Environment-friendly: Dry ice is one of the most eco-conscious ways to preserve and transport food items. It can be recycled and reused and leaves behind no waste. 
• Availability: It is an extremely accessible and cost-effective solution. 
• Longevity: Dry ice can cool products for about 24 hours before it begins to sublime. At the same time, it is three times more effective at keeping things cool than wet ice, which also melts much faster. 

How to Package Food with Dry Ice

Now that we’ve understood the benefits, let’s take a closer look at how companies operating within a cold chain properly manage and package food with dry ice.

Here are some tips and best practices:

• Before shipping, dry ice and food must be stored in a well-ventilated box. This box should never be completely sealed to allow for the release of pressure. 
• Food items should always go on top of the dry ice, and not the other way around. This can help prevent severe burns when unpacking a box. 
• Always use gloves or tongs when handling the substance. 
• Never eat or taste dry ice, and ensure the food doesn’t come in direct contact with it either. 

Forge Forward with nexAir 

For over 80 years, nexAir has been the leading supplier of industrial gas and welding supplies across the Southeast. Now, with nexAir Carbonic, we’ve added dry ice into the mix. Our high-quality dry ice enables food and beverage companies to Forge Forward, knowing that their product is always safe. Meanwhile, our experts’ KnowHow ensures your staff always have the right training to handle the volatile substance.