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Help Shipping Smoked Salmon

14K views 27 replies 16 participants last post by  a12seccrx 
#1 ·
Need to ship some smoked salmon to Texas. I've got it vacuum packed and frozen using my Foodsaver. Just need to send a few small 3 inch fillet chunks. Any ideas? Thanks, be well and fish on! Mark. :meme:
 
#6 ·
I just vacuum pack it, put it in a box and take it to the post office. I usually send a couple packages a year as far as South Carolina. It's never been a problem and always arrived in good shape.

I will say that I smoke my salmon until it's pretty dry. It may ship better that way.
 
#8 ·
Need to ship some smoked salmon to Texas. I've got it vacuum packed and frozen using my Foodsaver. Just need to send a few small 3 inch fillet chunks. Any ideas? Thanks, be well and fish on! Mark. :meme:

Mark, get a small foam cooler kinda of like the ones Omaha steaks come in, wrap your packages in newspaper then pack in cooler with wadded up newspaper and Fedex 2nd day delivery. I ship salmon to Florida all the time and never have a problem. Make sure someone is there to except it so its not setting on the front steps all day.

Dennis:flag2:

27' SeaSport "Cathy Gail"

Ilwaco, Wa.
 
#9 ·
I smoked 3 king filets with a little extra salt/cure and a little drier than normal, vacuum sealed them, and shipped them to Iraq and Afghanistan (about 7-10 days). They arrived in great shape and complimented by an Alaskan as some of the best he's had. I wouldn't worry too much shipping them CONUS.
 
#13 ·
Total BS you aren't risking anybody's health following the recommendations on this thread.

You don't need dry ice, most shipping and airlines won't accept it anyway.

Wrap in newspaper to reduce air space in box, add some frozen gel packs, put in foam box inside a good coragated box, tape well, write Keep Frozen on the outside and send.
 
#17 ·
Right from the FDA. I don't care if anyone thinks I am just being a knowitall jerk bag. BUT I do this for a living. And if you want to risk making some one extremely sick because you do not want to spend the extra money to air an item and keep it cold that is fine. Just sharing some knowledge. Just laying out the FACTS. Just like wearing a life jacket...you might get away with it your whole life. But it only takes one time. The OP asked what the safe way to ship an item was and a lot of people gave him very poor advice.

"
C. botulinum forms toxin more rapidly at higher temperatures than at lower temperatures. The minimum temperature for growth and toxin formation by C. botulinum type E and nonproteolytic types B and F is 38°F (3.3°C). For type A and proteolytic types B and F, the minimum temperature for growth is 50°F (10°C). As the shelf life of refrigerated foods is increased, more time is available for C. botulinum growth and toxin formation. As storage temperatures increase, the time required for toxin formation is significantly shortened. Processors should expect that at some point during storage, distribution, display or consumer handling of refrigerated foods, proper refrigeration temperatures will not be maintained (especially for the nonproteolytic group). Surveys of retail display cases indicate that temperatures of 45-50°F (7-10°C) are not uncommon. Surveys of home refrigerators indicate that temperatures can exceed 50°F (10°C).
In reduced oxygen packaged products in which the spores of nonproteolytic C. botulinum are inhibited or destroyed (e.g., smoked fish, pasteurized crabmeat, pasteurized surimi), normal refrigeration temperatures of 40°F (4.4°C) are appropriate because they will limit the growth of proteolytic C. botulinum and other pathogens that may be present. Even in products where nonproteolytic C. botulinum is the target organism for the pasteurization process and vegetative pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, are not likely to be present (e.g. pasteurized crabmeat, pasteurized surimi), a storage temperature of 40°F (4.4°C) is still appropriate because of the potential survival through the pasteurization process and recovery of spores of nonproteolytic C. botulinum aided by naturally occurring substances, such as lysozyme. In this case refrigeration serves as a prudent second barrier.
In reduced oxygen packaged products in which refrigeration is the sole barrier to outgrowth of nonproteolytic C. botulinum and the spores have not been destroyed (e.g. vacuum packaged raw fish, unpasteurized crayfish meat), the temperature must be maintained at 38°F (3.3°C) or below from packing to consumption. Ordinarily processors can ensure that temperatures are maintained at or below 38°F (3.3°C) while the product is in their control. However, current distribution channels do not ensure the maintenance of these temperatures after the product leaves their control. The use of time temperature integrators on each consumer package may be an appropriate means of enabling temperature control throughout distribution. Alternatively, products of this type may be safely marketed frozen, with appropriate labeling. For some products, control of C. botulinum can be achieved by breaking the vacuum seal before the product leaves the processor's control."
 
#23 ·
I got sick once from store bought vac packed smoked salmon that was not refrigerated when I bought it. I also ship a lot of fresh frozen and smoked fish back to nc.

If you can find the styrofoam shipping boxes that food and medicine is shipped in, those are best. I put as much fish in as I can with space for 2-3 lbs dry ice. I put the ice in two days early to drop the temp of the fish as low as I can. I add more dry ice the morning I ship. I take it to fedex on swan island and fill out the form that says i'm shipping dry ice. Winter i do second day, summer i do next day. Costs around a hundred bucks to ship. Dry ice from Freddie's or Baskin Robbins.
 
#26 ·
Lots of great tips, thanks! Definitely going to want to ship refrigerated. Can I use those ice gel packs you keep in the freezer and put them into a styrofoam insulated box with the vacuum packed fish? How about 2nd day air? Thanks again, be well and fish on! Mark. :meme:
 
#28 ·
I'm going to be shipping some smoked salmon to my girlfriend in Alaska. Vacume packed, several blue gel ice packs, wrapped with news paper and put in the freezer for a few days then ship as fast as economical in a styrofoam shipping box. Should be fine according to my research. However, I am no expert and I will be telling her if it's thawed before it gets to her, to just throw it out.
 
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