Dry ice packs

Dry ice packs — sometimes called gel packs or blue ice — are the most widely used active refrigerant format in the cold chain packaging industry, providing a reliable, cost-effective cooling solution across an enormous range of temperature-sensitive shipping applications. Unlike loose ice, which melts and creates water damage, dry ice packs contain their cooling medium within a sealed, hygienic outer casing, delivering a clean, consistent refrigerant that integrates easily into any insulated packaging format.

Available in both reusable and single-use disposable formats, dry ice packs serve a remarkably diverse range of industries. In the seafood and meat export sector, large-format gel packs are used in combination with insulated cartons to maintain chilled temperatures through 24 to 48 hour airfreight journeys. A premium tuna exporter might pack 500g gel packs alongside sliced tuna portions destined for Japanese sashimi restaurants, where the precise temperature of arrival determines the product’s market value.

Meal kit delivery companies rely heavily on dry ice packs to protect their product through the variable transit times inherent in last-mile residential delivery. A flat gel pack nestled against chicken breasts or Atlantic salmon in an insulated liner must reliably hold below 5°C through a 4 to 8 hour delivery window on a summer day.

Pharmaceutical and medical distribution uses dry ice packs extensively for temperature-sensitive medicines, particularly for the 2°C–8°C cold chain required by vaccines and many biologics. Community pharmacies, GP clinics, and hospital outpatient dispensaries rely on gel packs for the last-mile delivery of cold chain medicines to patients. For applications requiring a precisely defined temperature set-point, consider our PCM gel bricks, which maintain a stable temperature using phase change technology.

Grocery delivery services, cheese deliveries, and chocolate deliveries similarly depend on reliable gel pack cooling to maintain food safety compliance. Explore our reusable dry ice packs for ongoing delivery cycles, or our disposable dry ice packs for hygiene-critical and export applications. Dry Chill supplies dry ice packs in a range of sizes from 100g to 2kg.