Online shopping is a tough challenge for college mailrooms, but another contender might catch them off-guard: food.

Picture this. It’s Wednesday night. You’re studying for an exam the next day. But, you have trouble concentrating. Your stomach rumbles. Your mouth waters. It’s dinnertime. What do you do?

Do you make dinner at home? Head out to a restaurant? Order online using a delivery app like DoorDash or Uber Eats?

Your students will likely go for the last option. Young adults are well-versed in the art of online delivery, of course. It’s a great option when time is limited.

And it’s not just dinner that’s gone mobile.

Families include snacks in their care packages. Students receive medication from couriers. Faculty, staff, and students may order special supplies like chemicals and paint.

That’s a lot of stuff for a college mailroom.

While food safety is an uncommon concern for campus package management, you should be prepared for handling perishable goods.

‍

Chewing on Perishable Goods

So, what are perishable goods, and what makes them different from other parcels?

Any item with a limited shelf life is considered perishable. Once their expiry date has passed, these items are not ideal for consumption or use. Some perishables can be refrigerated, chilled, or frozen to extend their shelf life, but doing so may reduce freshness. Perishable goods include:

• Takeout and leftovers,
• Raw food (meat, poultry, fish),
• Dairy (milk, butter, yogurt),
• Frozens,
• Pharmaceuticals and medication,
• Cosmetics,
• Plants, and
• Chemical materials.

Goods are non-perishable if they have a long shelf life and can be stored at room temperature. The USDA considers these goods “shelf stable.” Non-perishables include:

• Canned, bottled, jarred, dried, preserved or dehydrated food,
• “Instant” food and beverages (coffee, milk, ramen),
• Grains like rice and flour,
• Sugar, spices, and oils,
• Cleaning products, and
• Personal hygiene products.

Here’s the bottom line: if a jar of honey arrives at your mailroom (delayed or on time), you can store it—provided that the jar is still sealed. Your students can collect non-perishables, no problem.

Perishables like takeout or medicine, however… that’s tricky. Your mailroom takes on a new level of liability in handling these packages. If they arrive damaged or mishandled, the items can spoil and contaminate the recipient or other packages.

Some mailrooms do away with the concern by refusing food deliveries. Other mailrooms have strict regulations, like requiring package collection within a few hours of delivery, or else they get disposed of.

Your mailroom’s protocols can mirror these examples, but you should fine-tune them according to your college’s circumstances and data trends.

‍

Meal Prep? More Like Package Prep

Ready Your Station

Space is the first adjustment for perishable goods. Where will these packages get stored?

The answer depends on the budget and the most common type of perishables that arrive at your mailroom.

Here are your storage solutions:

• The food shelf: The easiest option is to dedicate a shelf for perishables, especially with rapid parcel collection. Just ensure the shelf is in a low-moisture, cool, and ventilated area that’s out of direct sunlight.
• Commercial refrigerators and freezers: Costly but a worthy investment if you tend to receive frozen items or medication. Many commercial-grade refrigerators are compact and provide table space. You’ll want an undercounter, worktop, or chest type.
• Refrigerator lockers: These are viable if you already have parcel lockers or if you want to integrate them into a package room. Couriers can leave their deliveries with minimal staff intervention.
• Ban perishable deliveries: If none of these options work, you can prohibit food deliveries entirely. Advise students and staff to coordinate with the couriers directly. For medication and special supplies, have them work with the health office or department.

‍

Let the Hungry People Know

Your recipients should be informed of the perishable goods protocols as early as possible. Consider sharing this information during student information and posting it on the university website for easy access.

If food deliveries aren’t allowed, advise students to coordinate with the health office, relevant departments, or their housing office. Be clear about whether the mailroom has cold storage and specify which types of perishables are accepted. This is crucial for students using food delivery or grocery apps. Encourage them to advise you on their incoming deliveries. Also, remind them to avoid shipping perishables at the end of the week or before the holidays.

Importantly, communicate clear collection windows (whether perishables must be picked up within the hour, same day, etc.). You can encourage prompt package collection by using automated notifications.

‍

Processing the Goods

With the preparations out of the way, let’s look at handling the goods themselves.

1. Equipment. Have gloves and cleaning equipment ready in case of spills or leaks.
2. Read the label. Check if the expiration date has passed or if its delivery was delayed. Delays in transit increase the risk of exposure, especially for items shipped out of state.
3. Determine if the item is frozen. They’re usually marked as “Keep Refrigerated” or “Contains Dry Ice.” For the latter, avoid contact with bare hands.
   1. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends opening “Keep Refrigerated” items and checking the temperature using a food-safe thermometer.
   2. Frozen items should arrive partially frozen or refrigerator cold (below 40 °F). These packages usually contain cold packs, thermal blankets, and other insulating items. If they’ve warmed up, that’s not a good sign.
   3. Warm items like takeout should arrive between 40 and 140 °F. Ideally, don’t hold these items for longer than 2 hours.
4. Inspect the packaging. Packaging for perishable goods differs from the norm. It needs to be resistant to changes in temperature and physical damage. Most items are stored in styrofoam or glass, but nowadays, they’re more likely to be plastic-wrapped or vacuum-sealed.
   1. Look for breaks, leaks, or wet sides on the packaging. Avoid contact with these spots if there are any.
   2. Identify unusual colors, odors, mold, or signs of pests.
5. Document. Don’t forget to take photos and document any unusual parameters! Parcel Tracker’s digital delivery log lets you encode these details in the Notes field.
6. Collect, return, or dispose. If the item has minimal issues, you can store and turn over the package! Otherwise, dispose of the item or refuse the delivery.
   1. The last thing you want is a mold outbreak or pest infestation, so dispose of the parcel properly, sanitize the mailroom, and inform the recipient. Be sure to provide the log or photos, especially if the recipient or courier plans to solve this problem with the sender.
   2. Parcel Tracker’s mailroom automation system lets you cater notifications for different situations, including disposed or rejected items. You can even include a tag in the message to let people know that the item’s perishable!

Ready to Serve?

Perishable goods are a growing presence in the college mailroom. Apart from the next meal, students and staff are getting more and more of their essentials online.

Amidst the many options for handling these goods, the most important thing is that you are ready for them. Parcel Tracker’s features are a great tool for handling these types of packages, so sign up now to get ready for the next order.