When it’s hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk, you might wonder: How is my Misfits Market box arriving with cold brew still cold and meat still safe to eat? The short answer: a whole lot of science, smart packing, and thoughtful sourcing.
Fresh Food, Even in a Heat Wave
Summer temps are no joke. But that doesn’t mean your food should suffer. In fact, we’ve spent years perfecting a system that keeps groceries fresh, safe, and high-quality no matter how high the mercury climbs.
“It’s essential throughout the summer as temperatures continue to rise that we actively adjust our packaging materials to ensure customers get good-quality product at delivery,” says Shannon Streiffer, Associate Director of Supply Chain at Misfits Market. “We review temperature data and quality feedback weekly during the hottest months to keep things on track.”
It All Starts with a Smart Algorithm
Behind every box is a powerful (and very cool) packaging algorithm—built from extensive temperature testing across climate zones. This system considers:
- Your order’s destination (down to the ZIP code)
- The forecasted temperature along the route
- How long it will be in transit
- What’s inside (frozen, refrigerated, or shelf-stable)
Once it has the data, the algorithm determines the ideal “pack out” for your shipment—whether that’s insulated liners, gel packs, or thermal bags for extra-sensitive items.
“No two shipments are alike,” Shannon explains. “A customer ordering one block of cheese might get a different pack out than someone ordering 20 blocks—even if they live in the same ZIP code—because the cooling needs are totally different.”
This approach ensures your food arrives fresh while minimizing packaging waste. If an order doesn’t need insulation or gel packs, we don’t use them.
Insulated, Not Overpacked
For meat, seafood, dairy, and other items that need to stay at refrigerator temps, we’ll add gel packs or insulated pouches as needed—sometimes with extra coolant during heat waves.
“We might send more gel packs to Arizona in July than to Maine in January,” says Shannon. “It’s all about matching the protection to the conditions.”
Cool But Not Frozen
We don’t want your greens arriving frozen, and we definitely don’t want to waste resources overcooling. Our gel packs use a special formula that melts slowly, maintaining safe temperatures longer than ice alone. This helps us keep milk at or below 40°F, meat safely chilled, and greens crisp—without going overboard.
Keeping Cold Chain Across Categories
When Misfits Market was just shipping produce, the process was simpler. Now, with categories from dairy to meat to pantry staples, our packing strategy has evolved to maintain different temperature “zones” within a single box. That means your yogurt stays cold, your greens stay fresh, and your pantry snacks stay dry.
What About Frozen Foods?
Our frozen items ship in a dedicated box packed with dry ice and an insulated liner that locks in the cold and slows the transfer of heat from the outside, keeping everything frozen solid and full of flavor in transit. To learn more about how to handle dry ice when it arrives at your home, click here.
We Stand By Every Box
Our quality guarantee means if something arrives less than perfect, we’ll make it right with our money back guarantee. But thanks to our algorithm, climate-responsive packaging, and real-time weather adjustments, most boxes arrive exactly as they should—cold-chain intact and ready to enjoy.