Quick Answers
What should I consider when sending perishable items as gifts?
Everyone loves getting packages in the mail. Whether you
are giving or receiving mail order foods, there are some
safety tips you need to keep in mind.
Check with the mail order company. If it is a
perishable item like meat or poultry, how will the gift
be packaged? When will the perishable item be delivered
and will the package be labeled KEEP REFRIGERATED to
alert the recipient?
Some mail order items are of an unusual nature and
some consumers may not know how to handle or prepare
them. Will the item come with instructions on storage
and preparation?
Will it be better to send the item to the workplace
or the home address? Tell the recipient if the company
has promised a delivery date.
If you receive a food item marked "keep
refrigerated," open it immediately and check its
temperature. Optimally, the food should arrive frozen or
partially frozen. Refrigerate or freeze perishable items
immediately.
Written by:
Sandra McKinnon, Consumer & Family Economics Specialist,
University of Missouri Extension & Cynthia E. Crawford,
Ph.D., Consumer & Family Economics Specialist,
University of Missouri Extension
Last update: Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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