There are two primary ways dry ice is used in the food and beverage industry: cold chain management and in food processing. A solid form of carbon dioxide, dry ice is used for cooling during the transport of many types of food items. Its unique characteristics make it a more efficient and cost productive cooling media, allowing for maximised efficiency in last mile delivery.
Dry ice is used by many types of food processing facilities, including meat processors, commercial bakeries and wineries, to maintain critical temperatures in order to reduce spoilage during production, inhibit bacteria growth, slow yeast growth and delay fermentation. It’s also used by supermarkets when making home deliveries to keep groceries fresh whilst in transit to people’s homes. US and Swiss dry ice specialists Cold Jet and Comtecswiss have both seen a big increase in demand for dry ice from the home delivery market amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“With local lockdowns in place, we saw a trend toward more home delivery of food and beverage items,” Dennis Hjort, Vice-President – Global DIMS & IBS, Cold Jet, explained to gasworld. “Many people were hesitant to go to grocery stores and began to get their food via home delivery, meal kit services and other specialised food delivery services.”
“There has been an enormous increase in dry ice for food and meal cooling which are sent out to the people or ordered by internet,” echoed Comtecswiss Managing Director Mario Principe. “All these packages have to be kept cold or frozen on the way to the end user. The increase of dry ice due to these heavy restrictions of lockdown, closed restaurants etc. has increased the online demand for food and meals.”
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