Fall Travel: Dry Ice Suppliers for Airline Catering and Food Storage

Traveling requires many logistics that we don’t always think of, and one of the most important details is food. How do airlines cater to passengers? And is there a more practical way to preserve food than wet ice on trips by car? 

Dry ice is not just for smoky Halloween effects or industrial cleaning but can be used in everyday travel.

Dry Ice Catering: How It’s Done

Dry ice is packaged in cold “slices” or “slabs,” like cold packs used to ice injuries. A couple of dry ice slabs (not crushed or in pellet-form) can preserve food for up to 24 hours, while a larger amount can last upward three or four days in an appropriate cooler. The trick is to proportion the dry ice to a close to equal amount of food, to ensure that nothing begins to thaw. 

These slabs are made by adding cryogenic carbon dioxide into a holding tank where it can be frozen to its desired temperature of -109 degrees Fahrenheit. The blocks of dry carbon dioxide gas are then pressurized, shaped, and cut into solid dry ice, packaged in wrapping that is safe to handle. 

Dry ice goes through a phase of sublimination – turning from solid to gas, without liquifying. This sublimination prevents water and residue from accumulating. These blocks are incredibly sanitary and are always food-grade and FDA approved. These simple perks offer great refrigeration opportunities across summer activities en route to your destination, whether that be by road or by air.

Traveling By Air

The airline industry caters food and beverages for travelers – particularly internationally ­– on long flights where multiple meals are a required service. How do stewardesses keep snacks, meals, and drinks cold for extended time spent in the sky? Dry ice over wet ice offers a less messy alternative with greater longevity to withstand the long hours necessary to keep food and beverages cold in the air.

Road Trip Travel 

Road trips and camping getaways may also utilize dry ice to avoid the constant replacement of grocery-store-bought ice bags that leave messy pools of floating drinks. Personal food storage with a well-insulated cooler that prevents heat transfer can keep dry ice cold for several days. 

As a pro-tip, dry ice packs should always be placed at the bottom of the cooler as opposed to the top, to decrease the possibility of melting each time the cooler is opened and hot air enters. For road trips and camping trips, you may be able to get away with three or four days of refrigeration! One pound of dry ice will last for up to a day, so increase as necessary.

Who Else Needs Dry Ice in the Summer?

Dry ice is a great life hack for breastfeeding mothers, and fisherman who want to ship filets back home. With dry ice lasting longer and not creating such a melty mess it has many possible uses, catering to many different travel needs.

Likewise, mothers who long to not let breastfeeding stand in the way of adventure, can utilize dry ice to help store breastmilk for later use, or pack some along the way to feed baby when a freezer is not accessible. 

Hypothetically, say you are returning from a successful fishing trip in Alaska, and you want to store your freshly caught Alaskan salmon at home in Utah. There is but one way to make this shipment work, and that is to purchase packaged dry ice to keep the fish rock-hard for air travel covering thousands of miles.

Now, how do you travel with dry ice on a plane? Wet ice is prohibited on airlines, but dry ice is acceptable if packed correctly. A simple cooler bag inside insulated luggage is enough to get a personal shipment of food from point A to B via airline travel. The Federal Aviation Administration allots 5.5 pounds of dry ice or less, visibly labeled “dry ice” or “carbon dioxide, solid.” Approval by the airline is necessary prior to departure. Carry-on luggage with dry ice is allowed, so long as it is rock solid, not in liquid form that would exceed the 3.4 ounces of liquid regulation to go through TSA security checks. 

Dry Ice Supplier in the Western United States

In line with Rocky Mountain Air Solutions’ dedication to providing our customers with flawless dependability, we are working to expand our service capabilities in 2022 through a dry ice line that will support dry ice for airline catering and food storage, dry ice blasting, and many other applications using solid carbon dioxide. Whether you are a manufacturer, airline, or an individual, we would love to discuss how we can serve your applications soon.

If you are seeking a dry ice supplier, contact your local Rocky Mountain Air branch in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, or Nebraska today. We look forward to serving you!