How to choose temperature-controlled packaging

Transporting chilled products to their final destination safely, maintaining quality throughout the chain, is a foundational aspect of the food industry. Suppliers, retailers and consumers alike must put their trust in temperature-controlled packaging to deliver food and drink exactly as it should be, which is why operators in this sphere take their roles seriously – particularly when it comes to sustainability.

With more consumers and fine food professionals than ever conscious about their impact on their environment, and keen to minimise their footprint, 2025 brings with it new technologies and solutions which mean that not only can Speciality Food readers be confident that the chilled items they purchase to sell to their discerning customers will arrive in top condition, but they won’t need to sacrifice sustainability to make that happen.

Conscious clarity

Icertech is one such provider, offering products which are both ecologically sound and of solid quality. They are passionate about offering clarity to their customers, including around the Green Claims Code – a practical guide developed by the UK’s Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) to help businesses communicate their green initiatives transparently and avoid ‘greenwashing’.

“As a business (and as an industry), we have a responsibility to ensure that the information we present to our customers is factual, transparent, and clear to interpret,” begin Simon Morris, sustainability and innovation manager, and Alex Jackson, sales and marketing director. “The Green Claims Code lays out six key principles that businesses must follow when making environmental claims: 

1. Be truthful and accurate

2. Be clear and unambiguous

3. Avoid omitting key information

4. Ensure comparability

5. Back up claims with evidence

6. Consider the full lifecycle

Using the Green Claims Code, we aim to provide substantiated claims using robust, science based and verifiable methods. If you see a business making environmental claims, the Green Claims Code is a great resource to reference those claims against.”

In a world of countless unsubstantiated claims, and retailers and consumers having to tread carefully and with their eyes wide open when looking to source planet-friendly items, smart businesses are looking outwards to utilise tools that prove their statements can be trustworthy. “Sustainability is of growing importance to consumers, businesses and governments,” they continue. “We are now feeling the effects of climate change globally and it is important to consider how, through our own direct action, we can preserve the Earth for our future generations.”

Proven validity

“It can be hard to wade through the countless, unsubstantiated environmental claims, and understand how products compare,” say Simon and Alex. “That is where Life Cycle Assessment comes in, it is a method to calculate the entire environmental impact of a product and provides a provide fair comparison between products. In partnership with Bangor University, we have calculated the environmental impact of all Icertech products through LCA.”

LCA evaluates the environmental footprint of a product across its entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction, production, and transportation, through to use and disposal. “For our products much of the mass and energy data was collected on-site, to provide the most accurate representation of our products footprint as possible,” they continue.

This information is vital to help Icertech and other businesses move forward sustainably. “This data is crucial to allows companies to make informed, sustainable decisions about their packaging while comparing real-world data. It allows them to meet their sustainability goals, increase transparency with their customers, and gets them ahead of the ever-changing legislative curve.”

The best way for consumers to recognise sustainability efforts is through third-party accreditation, such as EcoVadis, Simon and Alex suggest. “We have recently been awarded a Platinum EcoVadis rating, placing us in the top 1% of companies within our sector.

“Our customers can be assured that significant consideration has been given to the sustainability of our products and practices, with our company motto ‘Packaging with Purpose’ guiding our decision-making process, which embodies our dedication to creating packaging solutions that not only meet our customers’ needs but also contribute positively to the environment and society.”

Safe and sustainable

Sustainable temperature-controlled packaging is an invaluable tool in GRUBBY’s recipe kits, ensuring that ingredients arrive with the end consumer in optimum condition as well as satisfying the growing demand for sustainable. “At GRUBBY, keeping ingredients fresh isn’t just about temperature control – it’s about delivering everything as safely and sustainably as possible,” begins Martin Holden-White, founder. “We use eco-friendly insulated packaging and ice packs, but only where absolutely necessary, which is around 25% of boxes.”

While temperature-controlled packaging isn’t required for all ingredients in GRUBBY’s kits, it plays an important role – and sustainable options are utilised. “Most fresh veg don’t need chilling, but for items that do – like tofu, plant-based cheeses, and dairy alternatives – we use sustainable insulation made from recycled materials and non-toxic, reusable ice packs.”

Food waste has been hitting headlines for a few years now, and with consumers increasingly aware of the impact wasting food can have on the environment GRUBBY has built anti waste tools – both food and non-food – into its model. “We’re also mindful of waste,” says Martin. “Our ice packs are designed to be refrozen and reused by customers, or they can be emptied and the outer packaging recycled. By constantly reviewing and testing our packaging, we ensure that we’re using just the right amount of insulation to maintain freshness without excess.”

Of course, the journey of temperature-controlled packaging doesn’t end with items being put into boxes – it’s important for suppliers and retailers to partner with sustainably-minded transport partners too. “Beyond packaging, we focus on smarter logistics to reduce transit times,” says Simon. “Partnering with carbon-conscious couriers like Hived and Zedify has helped us deliver fresh, high-quality ingredients while keeping our footprint as light as possible, with little to no carbon emissions.”

Delivering quality

We all know that fine food customers have high standards, and the role of suppliers and retailers is to ensure that food and drink is in perfect condition to be relished by the end consumer, whatever care items require while it’s in their hands. As well as ensuring that products arrive in optimum condition, it’s important that packaging looks great too says Mathew March-Smith, co-founder of Pong Cheese. 

“We’ve always said that ‘cheese delivery’ is our main service and once the product is taken care of the rest of the customer experience is about the ‘delivery’. The courier’s reliability is key but the only other part of a successful delivery is the packaging and it has to do many jobs: look great, promote the company and other products, protect the products inside it and maintain the temperature of them, and finally be a good price and be easy to assemble and produce in bulk and at speed,” he says.

When it comes to the products used to guarantee safe delivery, the Pong team go full belt and braces. “We use a double layer strengthened cardboard carton and inside the cheeses are nestled in food grade, biodegradable shredded paper and bespoke frozen gel ice packs made by Thergis. This combination ensures that our products remain at an optimal temperature throughout the delivery process, preserving their quality and freshness until they reach our customers,” explains Matt. “Our ice gel packs are leak-resistant, mess-free and long-lasting. These three factors are all critical to keep our cheeses perfectly chilled.”

While there are certainly conscientious producers of packaging out there doing sterling work, there is still more to be done – and the appetite for it is keen. “We require all of our packaging to be as renewable as possible and it is all recyclable: the cardboard and paper shred can be recycled with household paper, and the ice gel packs can simply be cut open, the non-toxic ‘food safe’ solution poured down the drain, while the plastic outer can then be recycled as with other household plastics,” says Matt, but “this isn’t as biodegradable as it could be and we are therefore exploring other materials including seaweed and other renewable technologies.”

With the demand for sustainable temperature-controlled packaging growing, and suppliers rising to the challenge, the future looks bright for the chilled fine food sector.