REUSABLE GEL ICE PACKS FOR THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY
The food and beverage industry greatly relies on reusable gel ice packs for transporting meat, fish, dairy, drinks and other related products. This is an ideal and reliable solution for keeping food and beverages frozen, chilled or cool as needed.
Reusable ice packs help in maintaining a constant temperature throughout the transit time. The food products always reach the destination in fresh condition. These are a great replacement for commercial ice that has contamination risks and does not guarantee proper chilling.
Here is everything you need to know about reusable gel ice packs when you are considering getting them for your business or personal use.
What are reusable ice packs?
They are a combination of temperature-sensitive chemicals inside a protective, insulated and sealed bag. A typical ice pack contain the following components which may vary with different manufacturers.
- Propylene Glycol: This is the anti-freeze component and absorbent by nature. At any given temperature, this synthetic liquid material keeps the pack flexible for wrapping.
- Vinyl-coated Silica Gel: This is the binding material for holding all components together. This also keeps the pack cold for a longer time.
- Hydroxyethyl Cellulose: This is the thickening component. You will find this in shower gel and shampoos.
- Water: This adds to keeping the pack cold and flexible for longer.
- Dye: This gives colour to the ice pack. This is optional and varies with the manufacturer.
Some ice packs have coloured beads that are made from sodium polyacrylate. This material can absorb water up to 1000 times of its mass.
How do ice packs work?
Propylene glycol is the main component that helps the ice pack to remain cold without freezing. When this mixes with the other components, it thickens into a squishy, flexible mixture. These ice packs must be kept in the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours before use to get optimum performance.
Where can you use these ice packs?
In the food and beverage industry, there are also several applications for these packs apart from shipping frozen or chilled food and drinks through road, air or sea. Some of them are:
- Preserving any food products that may get rotten quickly
- Maintaining the freshness of fresh produce
- Preserving seafood while getting back to the land
Benefits of using reusable gel ice packs
There are several benefits that these ice packs have which is why they are the best for the food and beverage industry. They are:
- Food safe: The foremost benefit of reusable ice packs is that the gel is safe to use for freezing foods and is approved by the food department. Though the packs are carefully super sealed and checked, yet in a rare case of the slightest leakage, it will not cause any contamination or poisoning.
- Reusable: These ice packs can be refrozen and reused multiple times with no impact on the performance. The packs just need to be cleaned before each use. This is a cost-efficient way to freeze and chill food products while maintaining food quality. Moreover, with an optimum performance each time you get the best value for money.
- Flexible: Even in the lowest temperatures, these ice packs remain flexible. You can use several of them to make a cold blanket, wrapping them around bottles, food packets and perishables. They can be folded easily to provide proper insulation.
- Ready to use: These ice packs only need to be kept in the refrigerator before use for the number of hours mentioned by the manufacturer to get the needed temperature. Apart from this, there is no other preparation required. The mixture is ready inside the leak-proof, sealed packing.
- Supports unexpected delays: If the transit time is delayed, these ice packs give super support. Gel packs can keep food cold for a long time even during unexpected delays in reaching the destination.
Considering all the above-mentioned facts, reusable gel ice packs are a perfect solution for the food and beverage industry to preserve or transport products. By now, you should have a clear idea of the same and understand how you can use it for your benefit.
Now that you are considering buying them, choose CSD Packaging to purchase reusable gel ice packs and other packaging supplies in Melbourne. You can choose from an array of ice packs available in different sizes, materials, insulation at an affordable price. Keep shopping!
