Materials used for Food packaging

Food packaging is an essential modern day idea, the usage of disposable cups and plates, pizza boxes and soup containers have become the be all and end all for the new generation. But do you know what ingredients are used in food packaging ? Here is an insight on some of the common materials that are used for packaging food. The ready to eat, easy, on the move food items which makes your life so much easier.

Polypropylene

These are mostly used for takeout food packaging, for chicken roasters, deli tubs, bakery and microwaveable takeout containers. These are rigid and crack resistant and also happen to be leak resistant. They are usually black or clear in colour and appear to be somewhat hazy. You can easily create various shapes, and sizes with them and can be moulded into various design elements. Polypropylene can resist temperatures up to 220° to 240°. Bones and high-fat foods that retain extra heat will not burn through.

Oriented Polystyrene (OPS)/High-Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)

These can be used for sandwiches, salad, bakery, deli, and produce and catering. These happen to be very popular for platter domes; hinged lid for sandwiches. They are great when it comes to leak resistance and can be coated with anti-fog material to retain clarity when it is used in cold cases or even for hot food. This material is good for cold case and room temperature applications and can in fact withstand temperatures up to 150°. You can definitely use this for hot foods but do not do the mistake of putting it in an oven, hot case or a microwave.

Foamed Polystyrene

These appear to be white, black, vanilla, green, pink, yellow or blue in colour and are known to be strong, lightweight that won’t soak through. These are used for clamshells and other hinged lid containers, tableware, meat trays and are used for restaurant doggie bags, also used for coffee and other such hot beverages. You can use this for moderate temperature resistance an d it casn hold foods and is microwaveable.

Foamed Polypropylene

Much like the previous one, this too is good for clamshells and other hinged lid containers, tableware, and meat trays. This is however a relatively new material that is being used and will take time to gain popularity. The colour for this is usually white but you can always find other colours. These have excellent heat retention and cold insulation properties and are strong, lightweight and don’t allow soaking through like the previous one. This comes in various grades and could be heat sealed with film. This can hold hot foods and is also microwaveable.

Crystalline Polythyelene Terephthalate (CPET)

Used for frozen dinner trays and takeout entree containers that need to be heated and are good for merchandising in the freezer, hot or cold cases. This is designed with a lot of flexibility and can be ridged, indented and formed into multi compartmented unites. This is very good for crack resistance when it has been frozen. These come in black but you can also find other colours. You can heat this in regular oven to 400° or frozen to -40°.