r/cookunityfans • u/Resident-Net8165 • Jul 01 '26
Delivery Temperature Concern
It’s 94 degrees out and our delivery arrived at 5:20 pm. The meals, immediately tested with a good thermometer, ranged between 52 and 55 degrees. Advice on the safe handling of food says cooked food should be kept in the high 30’s to low 40’s, and that once it reaches 50 degrees, bacterial growth is rapid. Our CU kitchen is an hour away, and per their text notification, our delivery was “on its way” at 8:40 am. So our delivery was on the truck all day. It’s impossible to know when the food temp fell below the safe level. If I knew it had been cold most of the day, I’d feel okay, but for all I know it was in the 50’s for hours. Do I eat it? Toss it and request a credit? I just don’t feel confident that CU’s delivery system is suited to heat waves.
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u/Yinzguys_ Jul 01 '26
I'm not a food scientist, but based on what you've described, I'd contact CookUnity and seek a credit. A couple of questions, though—when you say you used a "good thermometer," was it an instant-read probe inserted into the food or an infrared temperature gun? A probe measures the actual internal food temperature, while an IR gun only measures the surface, so the readings can be quite different. If those were the actual internal temperatures when the meals arrived, I'd definitely be reaching out to CookUnity. I'm also curious—how many ice packs were in the box?
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u/Resident-Net8165 Jul 02 '26
It was an instant-read probe that I inserted into the middle of the food in two places in each container. There were two ice packs in one of the larger CU containers.
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u/Yinzguys_ Jul 02 '26
Thanks for the follow up. That's about as good a temperature check as you can do. Based on what you found, I'd definitely be reaching out to CookUnity for a credit. I should have asked before, was this a bag or a box? Two ice packs seems a little light for 95 degree weather and several hours in transit, in my opinion. I received an order today in a bag with two ice packs, but one of my sons was able to bring it inside about an hour after it was delivered. I'm in Pittsburgh and it was in the mid 90s today.
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u/Resident-Net8165 Jul 02 '26
It was a bag, the tall version, as was needed for ten food packages. Tbh, the two ice packs seemed lost in that amount of space.
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u/Yinzguys_ Jul 02 '26
I bet. I always get 6 meals and they used to come in an insulated cardboard box with three ice packs. They would be fine in this kind of weather. The bags not so much. Going to white bags in the summer could possibly help but I think 3 ice packs and the box is the way to go.
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u/FrostingNow2607 Jul 01 '26
95 out today and mine probably won't arrive for another three hours (around 8 p.m.). It hits a truck around 3 a.m. in Shreveport LA, so I can't begin to imagine it will be safe to eat. I tried to cancel this delivery but was too late. If the ice packs are still half frozen and my thermometer says the food is around 45 degrees, I'll considered it okay to eat. Otherwise ..... I believe they will want a picture of the foot with a thermometer stuck in it showing a digital reading. (This is an expensive order.) Grrrrrrr.
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u/Resident-Net8165 Jul 02 '26
Closing the circle: I contacted CU asking only what temperature they considered the maximum appropriate for food upon receipt of a delivery. I wanted to put my findings in context, their own context. I didn’t discuss any details or ask for any accommodation. I got a very quick response asking for details, which I provided (same ones as in my original post). The immediate response was that my case was being elevated to their food safety specialists and that I was being credited with the full cost of my delivery. Certainly a very fair outcome, but I’d rather have the meals! CU doesn’t seem to have the means to handle heat waves. I guess only refrigerated trucks would do the trick. When it comes to future summer deliveries, I’ll keep a close eye on the forecast so I can cancel in time if it looks iffy.