From avocado toast to guacamole and countless other dishes, avocado has become a staple of diets all over the world. Because avocados only grow in certain climates, the global shipping industry plays a key role in the avocado supply chain.
Shipping avocados is challenging, and suppliers have come up with innovative solutions to overcome those challenges. If you want to expand your market by shipping avocados throughout the country or world, here’s what you need to know first.
Avocados are unique compared to other commonly shipped products because they’re sensitive to physical damage. Even slight bruising can accelerate spoilage and reduce the market value of a shipment of avocados.
Avocados also produce ethylene that speeds up the ripening process. This doesn’t just impact the avocados, but also the fruits and vegetables around them. To make matters worse, there’s a small window between avocados being too hard to eat and too ripe.
Different regional varieties of avocados, such as Hass and Fuerte, have different properties that require special care during shipping.
Maintaining ideal temperature and humidity levels helps protect avocados during transit. The ideal temperature range is between 39–55° F, and the ideal humidity level is 85–90%. Lower humidity levels can cause moisture loss and shriveling, while higher humidity levels can introduce mold and condensation.
Ethylene scrubbers and moisture control solutions can also preserve product quality when shipping avocados.
Temperature and humidity control solutions vary depending on the shipping method. Short-haul trucks can use simple absorbents and temperature control solutions, while long-haul sea containers may require refrigeration and special handling.
Avocados that are imported to the United States must meet certain quality standards, and mandatory cold treatments may be required.
IPSM-15 packaging is also used to prevent the spread of pests and diseases that could harm avocados as well as the plant life in the destination country.
Avocados must be labeled with the country of origin, variety name, lot or batch number. Use QR code labels for traceability.
Maintaining chain-of-custody records allows you to quickly respond to regulatory inquiries and audits.
Before shipping avocados, you need to check them for ripeness by performing a firmness test. Gently squeeze the shoulder of the fruit to feel how firm it is. You want your avocados to have a little bit of give without soft spots.
Create groups and sort avocados by ripeness levels to ensure the entire shipment of avocados has a predictable shelf life on arrival.
You should also perform visual inspections to look for blemishes, discoloration, or stem end molding that could be a sign of internal damage.
Avocados are commonly packaged in pulp trays or plastic clamshells. Pulp trays offer more breathability, which helps prevent mold growth and overripening due to ethylene. Both pulp and plastic clamshell trays are designed to be stackable.
Foam netting and corrugated dividers can help minimize impact damage during transit. Controlled-atmosphere liners or sachets can absorb ethylene and regulate the oxygen/carbon dioxide balance to prevent overripening.
Pre-cooling at the packing facility is a good way to set the stage for consistent temperature control throughout the journey. Forced-air cooling and hydro cooling are used to rapidly reduce the temperature of the avocados.
Refrigerated trucks and reefer containers allow you to maintain stable temperatures during transit. It’s important to consider insulation ratings, data logging, and backup power options when using a refrigerated truck or container.
Loading areas should be climate-controlled to prevent temperature spikes before departure.
Your avocado shipments have to be labeled, and there are strict label requirements. Your label must include the grower ID, lot code, shipping date, destination, and handling instructions.
You’ll also need to obtain a phytosanitary certificate, which is a multi-step process that starts with contacting APHIS. You’ll need to complete an application and undergo an inspection. If your application is approved and you pass the inspection, you can pay a fee to receive your phytosanitary certificate.
There are several providers that can speed up the customs clearance process by eliminating paperwork, including FedEx Electronic Trade Documents.
When shipping avocados via ground carriers, you can either ship a full container load (FCL) or a less than container load (LCL). If you have enough product to completely fill a shipping container, FCL loads are generally more cost-effective with shorter transit times. LCL loads are a better option when you have smaller quantities of avocados to ship.
Multi-temperature zone trailers are used for mixed cargo loads. These trailers help maintain stable temperatures, but they’re not as consistent as fully refrigerated trucks or containers.
Air freight offers the shortest transit times, making it an ideal choice when you need perishables to arrive quickly to maximize shelf life. Transit times are typically between a few days and a week, allowing you to preserve optimal ripeness and minimize waste on the grocery store shelves.
One thing to keep in mind is that air freight is more costly and demanding in other ways. For example, there are air-side handling fees that cover the cost of equipment and labor for handling and loading cargo. You also need to use a specialized unit load device (ULD) temperature control container to maintain stable temperatures with air cargo.
Sea freight is the slowest shipping method, but it’s the most cost-effective when time isn’t an obstacle. Temperature fluctuations can be mitigated with reefer container humidity packs or in-liner monitoring.
Pre-trip inspections and CO2 scrubbing help to stabilize the internal atmosphere over long distances, preserving the ripeness of your avocados.
Sea freight is a better shipping method when you’re transporting avocados that aren’t going to be ripe for a while. Softer avocados that are nearly ready to eat have a higher likelihood of spoiling when transported via sea freight.
Cellular IoT devices can be installed inside shipping containers or trucks to monitor and log temperature changes. These devices can also be used to monitor changes in humidity levels and shock events.
Cloud-based dashboards allow you to get a detailed overview of the status of your shipment and any events during transit. You can also set up real-time alerts so you know as soon as there’s a temperature or humidity spike.
Setting up threshold alerts that trigger SMS or email notifications helps you quickly respond to any events that may endanger your avocado shipment. When you receive an instant alert, you can make route corrections or adjustments to the refrigeration settings.
Each sensor’s unique ID should be tied to a lot record, that way you can always trace spikes and deviations back to a specific shipment of avocados. This is especially important when you need to dispose of a specific batch.
Avocados require different treatment depending on their level of ripeness, and each shipment should be separated into groups based on ripeness. If you don’t inspect avocados for ripeness or mitigate ethylene, avocados can overripen and impact your bottom line.
Temperature control is essential if you want to protect avocados during shipment, but that’s only half the battle. When you’re using temperature and humidity control solutions, you also need temperature and humidity monitors that alert you when there’s a spike.
Avocados should be clearly labeled with your grower ID, the lot number, shipping date, destination, and handling instructions. Improper labeling can cause confusion and result in mixed up lots and dates.
Avocados can stay fresh for weeks or months if they’re shipped properly. It’s important to use temperature and humidity control solutions when shipping avocados.
Avocados are shipped in food-safe, breathable containers that provide cushioning during transit without leading to built-up moisture.
Yes, you can ship avocados internationally as long as you use a refrigerated trailer or container and abide by the laws and regulations of the destination country.
You can mitigate ethylene to prevent avocados from overripening. Maintaining stable low temperatures also helps slow the ripening process.
Avocados are a delightful fruit enjoyed around the world, but shipping them can be a challenge. Fortunately, modern shipping solutions allow us to seamlessly ship avocados by land, sea, and air.
Eurolog Packing Group offers a wide range of shipping solutions to help maintain stable temperatures and control humidity levels. Check out our Temcore and Hydry solutions online or contact us to learn about our custom solutions.
Sandra Malouf is the President of Eurolog Packing Group and has spent her career focused on Industrial Packaging. With a proven track record of helping businesses avoid supply chain disruptions, Sandra’s visionary leadership elevates the industry. She’s committed to developing sustainable practices and continues to shape the future of industrial packaging by listening to the customer and offering unique solutions applicable to various industries across the world. The company’s main focus is temperature stabilization and moisture damage prevention in exports affected by extreme variations in global temperatures.
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