Case Study for Major Candy Distributor

The Goal:

A major candy distributor current using 3/4" foam inserts came to us looking for an alternative. They wanted to avoid the bulk in inventoring and storing foam and the mess of cutting and inserting it in the shipping boxes. FrioBox could solve their problems with a fully recyclable, enviornmentally friendly alternative to foam. But before they made the switch, they wanted to make sure FrioBox would be able to insulate their 2-day shipments without the chocolate freezing or melting in transit.

The Setup:

We tested both the foam inserts and a FrioBox side-by-side. For each box, we used 9 lbs of name-brand chocolate, 5 lbs of gel packs, and the insulation liner around the entire payload, all of which went into a standard shipper box.

For each box, the chocolate started off at 65 degrees F and the gel packs at 5 degrees F. Three thermocouples were inserted into the box: at the bottom, in the middle, and at the top. (None of the thermocouples were in direct contact with the gel packs.) The boxes were sealed and placed into our environmental chamber set at 80 degrees F for 48 hours, to simulate a shipment under the ISTA Summer Profile. The computer would take the average of the three temperatures for easy minute-by-minute comparison.

The Results:

With FrioBox, the candy started at 65 degrees F, dropped to 38 degrees F after 12 hours, and absorbed heat slowly over the following 36 hours, and finished 48 hours at 68 degrees F. With the 3/4" foam inserts, the candy started at 65 degrees F, cooled to 42 degrees F after 10 hours before taking on heat, reaching over 70 degrees F after 48 hours. In summary, the FrioBox outperformed their current 3/4" foam insulation.