The origins of temperature-controlled cold chain packaging are closely related to the development of cold chain transportation. Early on, people used ice, snow, underground cellars, and natural low-temperature environments to lower food temperatures and extend shelf life. However, these methods relied primarily on natural conditions and had limited temperature control capabilities. With the gradual development of industrial refrigeration technology in the 19th century, ice and mechanical refrigeration began to be applied to food transportation. People gradually realized that simply providing a low-temperature environment was insufficient; packaging materials were also needed to slow down the entry of external heat, maintaining a relatively stable temperature for the product during transport. Thus, transport packaging with heat preservation, insulation, and cold storage functions gradually emerged and was applied to the transportation of temperature-sensitive products such as meat, dairy products, and seafood.
In the 20th century, with the development of modern logistics, refrigeration technology, and polymer insulation materials, temperature-controlled cold chain packaging began to evolve from a simple "ice + box" model towards specialization and standardization. Insulation materials such as foam plastics and polyurethane are increasingly being used in packaging. Meanwhile, temperature control media such as ice packs, cold storage agents, and dry ice are constantly being improved, enabling packaging to maintain the required product temperature for a certain period without continuous external refrigeration. Especially with the increasing demand for transporting vaccines, biological products, pharmaceuticals, and high-quality fresh food, the market's requirements for temperature stability and transportation safety are becoming increasingly stringent. Cold chain temperature-controlled packaging has gradually formed a relatively complete technological system. Today, cold chain temperature-controlled packaging is no longer just a simple insulated container, but an important logistics equipment integrating insulation materials, temperature control media, temperature monitoring, packaging structure, and transportation management technologies. It is gradually developing towards recyclability, intelligent temperature control, and environmental friendliness.