The following table may help in estimating the cost using dry ice, assuming the use of a Styrofoam cooler with a cardboard shipping box.1
Weight in US units.2
| Milk in ounces | Approximate weight in pounds | Approximate container weight pounds | Dry ice for 12 hours in pounds | Dry ice for 24 hours in pounds | Total approximate weight in pounds |
| 100 | 13 | 0.25 | 5 | 10 | 18.25 - 23.25 |
| 200 | 26 | 0.25 | 8 | 13 | 34.25 - 39.25 |
| 300 | 39 | 0.5 | 12 | 17 | 51.5 - 56.5 |
| 400 | 52 | 0.5 | 15 | 20 | 67.5 - 72.5 |
| 500 | 65 | 1 | 15 | 20 | 81 - 86 |
| 600 | 78 | 1 | 20 | 25 | 99 - 104 |
Use dry ice for shipping FROZEN milk as dry ice will freeze everything in the shipping box. A combination of dry ice and gel packs will extend the shipping time by several days if the shipped items can be frozen for a short time or thawed for a short time.
If upon arrival the food is partly frozen, still has ice crystals, or is as cold as if it were in a refrigerator (4.4ºC/40 °F), it is safe to refreeze or use.3
Next section: How can human milk be packed for shipping?
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- 100 ounces of milk weighs about 13 pounds (0.13 pounds per ounce, based on the weight of a gallon of cow’s milk). This is an assumed estimate and will allow you to roughly estimate shipping costs. In addition to the weight of the milk, you will have to account for the weight of the dry ice or frozen packs used to keep the milk frozen and the weight of the container. ↩︎
- Unit Converter
