How e-commerce is changing expectations for food and drug delivery

How e-commerce is changing expectations for food and medicine delivery is changing

New standards in temperature-controlled distribution

The growth of e-commerce in the food and pharmaceutical sectors is forcing companies to rethink their logistics processes. Whereas temperature control used to be limited to large-scale distribution centers and refrigerated trucks, it is now a requirement all the way to the consumer’s front door. Orders range from chilled meals to prescription drugs. This has reduced tolerances for temperature fluctuations, and increased the need for continuous validation.

The European Good Distribution Practice (GDP) Directive stipulates that medicines must remain within specified temperature limits during transport. Combined with the e-commerce promise of fast delivery, this creates a tension between speed, safety and compliance. Temperature-controlled packaging must meet not only technical requirements, but also documentation and traceability requirements that are auditable.

Complexity of the last-mile in e-commerce

In traditional chains, logistics is linear: manufacturer, distribution center, retailer. In contrast, e-commerce introduces a fragmented last-mile structure with micro-fulfillment centers, cross-docks and delivery partners. Each additional switching moment increases the risk of temperature drift.

For temperature-sensitive goods, even brief exposure to ambient temperature (e.g., during sorting or delivery) can affect stability. To overcome this, companies are increasingly implementing lane-based thermal risk assessments: route-specific analyses of climate profiles, transport duration and seasonal variations. These then determine the choice of insulation, PCM type and pre-conditioning.

Thermal validation and performance testing

The use of thermally validated packaging is a core requirement within e-commerce distribution. Methods such as Design Qualification (DQ), Operational Qualification (OQ) and Performance Qualification (PQ) are applied to prove that packaging functions within temperature limits.

In addition, testing standards such as ISTA 7D and 7E provide representative temperature profiles that correspond to package networks in the EU. By testing packages according to these profiles, companies can predict how long a product will stay within specification under variable conditions.

The thermal efficiency of a package is determined by the combination of insulation value (R-value), PCM mass and melting point, and the heat load in the transport environment. For pharmaceuticals, the optimum is often around 2-8°C, while chilled food typically requires 0-4°C. The choice of PCM type (e.g., water-based or phase change material with adjusted melting point) affects both performance and environmental impact.

Digitization and traceability

Customers expect not only fast delivery, but also transparency about conditions during transport. EN 12830 describes the requirements for temperature recorders in transport and storage. Modern data loggers measure and record every minute, with automatic upload to a cloud platform.

For logistics professionals, this makes it possible to monitor Estimated Time in Temperature (ETT), detect deviations and document corrective actions.

This digital visibility is increasingly being integrated into e-commerce portals, allowing end users to verify that their shipment was delivered according to specification. This reinforces supply chain responsibility and aligns with quality management systems such as ISO 9001 and ISO 13485.

Combining efficiency and sustainability

The strong growth of parcel flows also brings an environmental issue. Each shipment requires insulation material, PCM and protective packaging. To reduce the carbon footprint, companies are experimenting with mono-materials that are easier to recycle, and reusable packaging concepts.

Yet this must go hand in hand with thermal stability: biobased or recycled materials sometimes have a lower insulation value, which can be compensated for by optimized wall thicknesses or modular use of PCM packs.

A sustainable solution meets three criteria: preservation of product quality, lower material impact and reduction of waste due to temperature excursions. Minimizing product rejection through stable temperature conditions often has greater environmental benefits than just material savings.

Professional implementation in the chain

For organizations making the move to temperature-controlled e-commerce, a structured qualification and control approach is essential.

1. Define product categories (e.g. refrigerated, frozen, ambient) and required temperature ranges.
2. Select packaging With substantiated thermal performance, tested according to ISTA 7D/7E.
3. Secure data logging via EN 12830-qualified recorders at defined measurement intervals.
4. Train employees in pre-conditioning, loading time and maximum handling times outside refrigeration.
5. Implement monitoring KPIs such as OTIF temperature reporting, excursion ratio and CO₂ per delivery.

By following this system, companies can meet both GDP requirements and the increasing transparency expectations of consumers.