The Do’s and Don’ts of sending food parcels abroad - Four Winds Saudi Arabia (2024)

Winter holidays are approaching and it’s time to start thinking about gifts. What can be a better gift for someone overseas than their favorite homemade food? Whether you have someone abroad or you’re growing a small business and shipping products to your customers, there are some rules and restrictions you need to follow. Since it is the food we are talking about, we all know how delicate food is. It is a perishable item that needs special conditions during transport. You need to pick only the best service providers for this, but you also need to use the best practices yourself. We’ve prepared a list of the dos and don’ts of sending food parcels abroad to answer all your questions and doubts. Consider sending food parcels abroad for the winter holidays and find the best temperature-controlled shipping companies and ship the food safely. As for the topic, let’s begin!

What should you know before sending food parcels abroad?

There are some common things and basic rules for sending food abroad. The most common rule is to avoid sending anything perishable. Perishable food is food that can be spoiled during transport, basically, it is anything that’s not kept in a tin, or jar or isn’t dried. Sadly, homemade, delicious meals can only be sent in their fresh form, so your loved ones abroad need to find another way to enjoy their national dishes. But you can always send them the product that can only be found in your country, which needs to comply with the rules. Food must be in the original packaging or sealed and packed (depending on the restrictions in the country you’re shipping to). The food parcel must contain a list of all ingredients and a shelf life of longer than 6 months from the date of shipping. Send the ingredients for your family’s favorite homemade dishes safely with cargo companies in Jubail! They have the tools, knowledge, and equipment to do it safely.

Items that can be sent abroad

Before sending food parcels abroad it is important to know what can be sent. This is also important before choosing a shipping container. We’ll mention some of the most common types of food that can be sent abroad:

• Store-bought food items
• Vacuum-sealed food
• Food packed in clean paper boxes, metal food tins, and plastic boxes/bags
• Dehydrated soups
• Condiments in unbreakable jars
• Coffee, tea
• Dried nuts, fruit, and seeds
• Specialty foods like tuna, sardines, dips, anchovies

Pay attention to the prohibited items

If you consider sending food parcels abroad, you should know what’s prohibited. Don’t send alcohol or any flammable liquids. A general rule is that alcohol can’t be shipped abroad. It would be a bummer to spend lots of money on a nice bottle of alcohol, only to find out that it never got to the lucky recipient. But before sending, visit the country’s postal website for information and see what’s prohibited. All countries have individual rules. Fun fact: it’s forbidden to import a pair of matching shoes to South Africa, Mexico, or India! Weird, isn’t it? And it’s about shoes. You can only imagine how different the food restrictions in the whole world are. Check food-sending rules when moving to a warmer climate if you want to bring something with you.

Avoid sending anything that cannot withstand heat

Don’t send food non-resistant to high temperatures during shipping via some custom clearance and freight forwarding companies without prior notice. Regular shipping methods require a long time to get from point A to point B, so they will see many temperature changes and different moisture levels. Not only can they go bad during transport, but they can also damage or spoil items around them. If you still consider sending food like these abroad, make sure to require temperature-controlled transportation or environment. But this usually means higher prices compared to transportation via regular cargo units. Avoid sending high-moisture foods, like pumpkin bread or soft cookies because of their susceptibility to molds. Chocolate can melt because of the heat and change color and shape during transport.

Don’t send perishable foods

Don’t try to send perishable food abroad. Perishable food is food that can be spoiled during transport and includes anything that’s not in a tin, or jar or isn’t dried. This also means avoiding sending meat, fish, soft cheese, dairy, or anything that can’t stay in good condition at room temperature for more than two hours. Cookies, cakes with cream, and chocolate with filling are perishable food, too. The good thing nowadays is that many foods are available worldwide, so you can likely find your favorite food items in any well-equipped supermarket. One more hint: don’t mix food and non-food content. If they stay in the same box for weeks at a time, smells will mix and ruin the food.

Don’t pay more than you should when sending food parcels abroad

Another don’t rule: don’t pay more than you should for sending a food parcel. Sometimes the amount of money required to send a food parcel will by far outweigh the value of the package. There are many comparison services where you can compare food shipping prices and save money on international deliveries. International deliveries are expensive, but you should set a limit for yourself. Imagine you pay a hefty price for a parcel, and you unintentionally send something prohibited so that it won’t even make it through some customer clearing agents in Bahrain. Research well and before you choose, weigh and measure your food package properly. This is also important because if the parcel is heavier or larger than limited, the courier may refuse to ship it. Or you’ll simply go to pay more.

Only send via a reliable cargo company that offers tracking solutions

Sending every kind of package abroad is risky if you send it without a tracking service. Even with tracking service available, packages sometimes get lost. Unexpected things happen, so you should always keep in mind that your parcel may not make it to its final destination. If you cannot stand this risk, make sure to only send items with some reliable logistics companies in Saudi Arabia. It’s recommended to use a tracking service when sending food parcels internationally. The price could be higher, but you’ll know where your parcel is at every moment. You can also know when the parcel is due to the arrival date and contact your provider or cargo company if there is any problem.

Check the delivery address twice

One thing to DO at least twice when shipping food parcels abroad is to check the delivery address. This may be obvious but mistakes happen. Incorrect delivery addresses are the most common international courier issue. Make sure to double-check the delivery address and check with the recipient if the address appears online on Google. And be sure to include a return address in the case of unexpected situations. Even if you checked a few times, before you press the final button, check both addresses again.

Don’t send too much food on holidays

People like giving and receiving food for holidays, but when it comes to sending food parcels abroad, you should be aware of holidays. Christmas, for example, is the time when thousands of people are sending food and gifts abroad. It can happen that couriers can’t accept your order or simply can’t arrive on time because of tons of orders. Booka courier or cargo shipping before the holidays. By the time the items get to the receivers, it will likely be close to the holiday season. If you wonder what to do with food when moving consider sending some nice dishes abroad to your friends.

Conclusion on sending food parcels abroad

Sending food parcels abroad is risky. Even if you follow all the guidelines on how to do it properly, unexpected things can always happen. Don’t be too disappointed if your gift doesn’t make it to the final destination, especially during this time after the pandemic, when the shipping industry is still recovering. And after all, the best way to share and enjoy food with loved ones is in person.