Is It Safe to Ship Cookies?

Picture this: you’ve just finished a batch of delectable sugar cookies and are ready to share with friends and family. However, some of them live in the next state or on the other side of the country, and you don't have the money or the time to make the trip. It also doesn’t even seem practical, not even when you ask them to drop by your place.

So, you go for the next best thing: delivering freshly baked cookies via courier. It won’t come cheap, especially if you’re sending such a thoughtful surprise from Melbourne to your old folks in Perth. Not to mention that this approach isn’t as straightforward as packing the cookies and handing them over to your preferred courier service.

Cookies are safe to ship, but they require extra steps to ensure freshness when they arrive at their delivery address and on or before the delivery date. Here’s everything you need to know about shipping these delicious treats.

Perishable or Non-Perishable?

Cookies are considered either perishable or non-perishable, depending on the ingredients used. Without any icing, sugar cookies are non-perishable due to their high sugar content. Sugar is a well-known preservative that works by removing moisture from the food, denying bacteria a good place to survive and thrive.

It becomes a different story for frosted cookies. Egg and dairy-based icing (e.g., butter, cream) is perishable because of its high water activity. Meanwhile, icing made with shelf-stable ingredients such as powdered sugar and shortening is non-perishable.

That said, it’s worth noting that “non-perishable” doesn’t mean it’ll stay fresh forever. In this context, a non-perishable sugar cookie can stay fresh at room temperature while in transit. More on the “room temperature” part in a bit.

Knowing the distinction between the two determines how cookie delivery Australia should be done. Cookies should be sent out as soon as they’re ready and packaged based on the ingredients used: temperature-controlled storage for perishables or compliant packaging for non-perishables. At the very least, they should still be edible when they arrive.

‘Room Temperature’ is Anything But

While courier services strive to find the fastest route to their destination, they can’t dictate the weather. Australia is notorious for heat waves so hot that the Bureau of Meteorology at one point added a new colour to its heat maps.

Cookies may be baked at hotter temperatures (about 175°C), but exposing them to further heat will ruin their taste and texture. In addition to the icing melting, the sugar cookies lose flavour and become prone to spoilage due to humidity. The heat can also cause cookies to lose the little moisture they have, making them stale.

Protecting cookies from extreme heat and humidity entails two things:

• Airtight packaging: Cookies should be placed in tightly sealed packs or cookie tins to keep air and moisture out, whether per cookie or by batch. Let them cool before storing them to prevent condensation from forming inside the container.

• Climate-controlled storage: Airtight containers alone aren’t enough; they also need to be stored in climate-controlled storage. Examples include thermal bags, coolers, and—if your preferred delivery service offers them—refrigerated trucks.

In our case, we pack each cookie individually to help lower the risk of cross-contamination and make them last a long time. The airtight individual wrapping can keep cookies fresh for as long as 12 weeks. When removed, they’re good for up to 14 days.

Your Choice of Courier

When picking a courier, the first one that may come to mind is Australia Post. However, it’s important to know that they might not be the ideal choice for shipping cookies.

According to the Prohibited and Restricted Items List and Packaging Guide, Aus Post can’t deliver perishable foods—both domestic and overseas. Its delivery network lacks the right temperature control to guarantee food’s freshness, especially over long distances. That’s bad news for cookies with perishable ingredients.

It also can’t guarantee non-perishable cookies for the same reason. The guide states that the sender is responsible for ensuring the food’s safety when it reaches the recipient. Not to mention determining whether or not Aus Post is the right courier for the job.

You’re more likely to choose a courier service that offers, if not specialises in, transporting foodstuffs Australia-wide. If they also provide climate-controlled containers, even better; otherwise, you may need to use or buy your own.

Safe to Ship, But with More Effort

While assorted cookies are best served at parties or other events, it isn’t always the case. Cookie delivery across Australia is safe as long as they’re stored in proper packaging and brought by a courier with an efficient shipping process for foodstuffs.

That said, if you’re looking for worry-free cookie making and delivery, Mr Cookies is your go-to. We accept bulk orders for any special occasion and offer fast delivery Australia-wide. Give us a call today to learn more about our delightful range of cookie gifts.