Sending shrimp paste, fish sauce, chilli sauce or other liquid seasonings from Vietnam to Canada is always a big challenge for both the sender and the carrier. A single bottle of sauce leaking under pressure in the aircraft hold can seriously damage your entire shipment and other people’s too. To make sure your taste of home arrives intact, you need to know the right packing method and what to do if something goes wrong.
Why do liquid seasonings break or leak in flight?
Unlike road transport, air cargo goes through constant changes in pressure and temperature as the aircraft takes off and lands.
When air pressure drops, the air inside plastic bottles or glass jars expands. If the cap isn’t sealed properly or the bottle is too thin, the pressure from inside can pop the cap off or crack the bottle. Loading and sorting at transit warehouses also cause repeated knocks. If bottles are packed close together without cushioning, breakage is hard to avoid.
How to pack fermented sauces and liquid seasonings for air freight
To ship liquid and paste foods to Canada safely, follow this 4-step packing process strictly:
Step 1: Choose the right bottle and secure the cap
- Avoid glass wherever possible. Decant sauces and liquid seasonings into thick, flexible PET plastic bottles.
- Don’t fill fish sauce or seasonings right up to the neck. Leave a gap of about 3–5 cm between the liquid and the cap so the air has room to expand when the pressure changes.
- Wrap plumber’s thread seal tape around the thread of the bottle neck before screwing the cap on tightly. Then wrap several rounds of wide tape over the outside of the cap to hold it in place.
Step 2: Shrink wrap and seal in zip bags
- Wrap the whole bottle at least 3 times in heat-shrink film or cling film.
- Put each bottle in its own sealed zip bag. If it leaks, the sauce stays inside the bag instead of soaking through the carton and damaging other items.
Step 3: Add shock-absorbing padding
- Wrap each bottle separately in 2 to 3 layers of bubble wrap.
- When packing the carton, don’t let bottles touch each other directly. Separate them with foam, packing peanuts or honeycomb cardboard.
- Fill every gap in the box. When you shake it gently, there should be no rattling and nothing should move.
Step 4: Seal the carton and add warning labels
- Use a sturdy 5-ply carton.
- Reinforce every edge and corner of the box with tape.
- Add “Fragile” or “This Side Up” labels on the outside so handlers take care during transit.
At Soleil Transportation, we check and pack parcels to Canada in a basic carton for free. However, for special items such as fermented sauces and liquids, customers should pack them carefully from the start following the guide above, or contact us in advance for specialist bubble wrapping at a small surcharge.
What to do if fish sauce breaks or leaks
Even with careful packing, there is still a small risk because of factors beyond anyone’s control on the long 7 to 14 day journey from Vietnam to Canada. If you receive a parcel in Canada and notice signs of leaking, follow these steps:
Step 1: Leave everything as it is and record evidence
As soon as you see that the box is wet, smells unusual or is dented, don’t rush to open it without recording.
- Take clear photos of the whole box showing dents, tears or liquid stains.
- Film yourself opening the box, showing which bottles broke, how much was lost and how the other items in the box were affected.
Step 2: Separate the affected goods
- Quickly remove the leaking bottles so the sauce doesn’t keep soaking into clothing, books or other dried foods in the same box.
- Wipe the intact bottles with a damp cloth, dry them and store them somewhere cool and airy.
Step 3: Contact the carrier immediately
Send all your photos, the unboxing video and your order (or booking) number to Soleil Transportation customer care at info@soleiltransportation.com or on +1 888-998-5199.
Note that for food items, insurance usually doesn’t pay out automatically unless you arranged extra cargo insurance in advance. However, we always do our best to review the handling process with you, identify the cause and offer the best possible support when an order is unlucky enough to have a problem.
Important notes when shipping food to Canada
- CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) rules: All food sent to Canada must be clearly declared. Seafood-based sauces are usually accepted more easily than products containing pork, beef or chicken, which are tightly controlled because of disease concerns.
- Shipping rates: Soleil Transportation’s air shipping from Vietnam to Canada starts at $16/kg (import duties included). Small parcels and gifts sent by ePacket start at just $8.50 CAD per parcel.
- Delivery time: Average transit time from Vietnam to Canada is 7 to 12 business days, depending on the delivery address in Canada.
Before sending any fermented sauce or liquid seasoning, call Soleil Transportation on +1 888-998-5199 or bring your goods to our warehouse at 2446 Cawthra Road, B1U8, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5A 3K6. Our staff will check whether the item is currently allowed into Canada, so it isn’t confiscated or destroyed at the border.
