Understanding Food Grade Plastic Containers: Safety Considerations in the Food Industry
Get to Know Food Grade Plastic Containers: Safety Considerations in the Food BusinessPlastic Boxes: Essential Containers for the Food BusinessFood Grade plastic is a type of plastic that is safe for food and beverages. It does not leave residues in food and is commonly used to make containers for food packaging, such as plastic boxes, plastic plates, plastic cups, and water bottles. In addition to the common plastic containers, the food business or food industry factories must also have food-grade plastic containers to hold ingredients or raw materials used in the food production process. These are mostly large containers such as plastic drums, plastic crates, orplastic boxes. Food Grade plastic containers have different usage properties depending on the type of plastic. There are 12 types of plastic allowed by law for packaging food and beverages.However, there are 5 popular types used in making Food Grade plastic containers:PP (Polypropylene-PP) Polypropylene plastic. Its key properties include a high melting point, making it heat-resistant. It is clear, provides good moisture barrier, and has low density. It is often used as food-grade plastic for packaging hot foods, such as hot bags, dry food pouches, plastic boxes, plastic crates, plastic trays, and plastic baskets.PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) Polyethylene terephthalate plastic. It has good toughness and flexibility, prevents gas leakage, and is resistant to compression. It is commonly used as food-grade plastic for water bottles, oil bottles, frozen food packaging, and vacuum packaging.HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Polyethylene plastic. Its key properties include good resistance to sub-zero temperatures, high density, flexibility, resistance to cracking and breaking, chemical resistance, and very high moisture barrier. It can be made in beautiful colors. It is commonly used as food-grade plastic for frozen food containers, such as plastic boxes and plastic crates for freezing food in cold rooms.LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Polyethylene plastic. Its key properties include very good moisture barrier, permeability to air and fats, good flexibility, tear resistance, toughness, resistance to acids and alkalis, but not heat resistant. It is commonly used to produce food-grade plastic for cool bags, water bottles, and bottle caps.LLDPE (Linear Low Density Polyethylene) Polyethylene plastic. It has low density, is clear and glossy, and is soft. It is a food-grade plastic that can withstand heat, cold, and high pressure. Due to its high heat resistance, it can undergo sterilization processes to ensure that food in retort pouches is free from microorganisms. It is also used to make plastic drums for items that need to be kept cold, or foam tanks used to store fresh food as an alternative to refrigerators.Although Food Grade plastic containers have similar material characteristics, their usage differs based on the raw materials used in their production. If used incorrectly, food contamination can occur, which is harmful to the health of consumers. For example, for food-grade plastic boxes and microwaves, one should choose plastic boxes made from PP plastic because it can withstand high temperatures. Look for "Microwave Safe" or "Microwavable" symbols on the plastic containers you intend to use. For plastic crates or drums used in industrial factories that need to be kept in cold rooms to maintain the quality of raw materials before production, it is recommended to choose plastic crates or drums made from PP and HDPE because they are resistant to low temperatures. Food Grade plastic containers available in the market come in various forms to suit different purposes. Therefore, let's learn more about Food Grade plastic containers that make the world of the food business more convenient.Easy-to-use and Healthy Food Grade Plastic ContainersPlastic Boxes are popular containers used for food packaging in households, restaurants, and food businesses and industrial factories due to their convenience and wide variety of forms. These include plastic food containers for takeaway, which have compartments to separate different types of food, ranging from 2 to 5 compartments, or plastic boxes used to store food or raw materials in refrigerators, chillers, or cold rooms, available in both small and large sizes, allowing selection based on the size and quantity needed for packaging. However, if plastic boxes are used for storing raw materials in industrial factories, they will be large, capable of holding several kilograms, and thus must be strong and durable, available with or without lids and locks.Plastic Crates are mostly used in food production businesses in industrial factories. They are made from food-grade PP and HDPE plastics and are used for storing raw materials or ingredients in food production. They come in various forms, such as ventilated plastic crates for packaging fruits and vegetables, which have air or water drainage holes around the crate and can be stacked without damaging the produce inside. Solid plastic crates, available with or without lids, can hold various raw materials such as meat and chopped vegetables and can be stored in cold rooms. Additionally, they can serve as multi-purpose crates for non-food items.Plastic Drums are molded plastic drums made from thick, strong, durable LLDPE plastic, capable of bearing heavy loads. They are mostly used for items that need to be kept cold, available in both round and square shapes, and can be chosen with or without lids, suitable for preserving cold items. Alternatively, there are foam plastic drums with foam injected automatically, which can maintain coldness for up to 2 days, with drainage holes for water, suitable for storing fresh food instead of refrigerators. Plastic drums come in various sizes with capacities measured in liters.Plastic Plates and Cups are mostly made from food-grade PET plastic, used for both cold and hot food, available in various sizes. As they are food-grade plastic, they are free from carcinogens. Most plastic plates and cups are typically disposable, but nowadays, paper plates are increasingly preferred due to being easily biodegradable and more environmentally friendly.How to Inspect and Select Food Grade Plastic Containers for Food Business SafetyChoosing the right Food Grade plastic containers for use in the food business not only facilitates convenient food storage and transportation but also reduces the risk of contamination that could be harmful to consumers. Therefore, before purchasing or using them, important factors should be checked as follows:Check for Food Grade symbols such as 1 (PETE), 2 (HDPE), 4 (LDPE), 5 (PP), or the glass and fork symbol, which indicate that the container is safe for food.Choose according to the plastic type suitable for temperature and food type, such as PP for hot food, HDPE for refrigeration or storage in cold rooms.Check manufacturing standards, such as TIS 2884 and 2744-2559, to ensure that the product is of high quality and safe.The size and strength of the container must be suitable for the amount of food and the weight of the raw materials.Check the cleanliness and condition of the container before use. There should be no cracks, dents, or unusual colors, which could be signs of contamination or poor quality.Properly selecting Food Grade plastic containers not only helps the food business comply with safety standards but also builds consumer confidence and reduces legal risks.Plastic boxes, plastic crates, plastic drums, or plastic plates are just some of the plastic containers made from Food Grade plastic used in the food business or food industry factories. Besides holding food and beverages, plastic boxes, plastic crates, and plastic drums can also be used for medicine, supplements, or cosmetics. Therefore, when choosing containers or packaging that will be used in contact with the human body, whether for consumption or application, it is crucial to select containers or packaging made from Food Grade plastic to prevent contaminants from entering food, medicine, or cosmetics and causing harm to the body. To determine if the plastic box, plastic crate, plastic drum, plastic plate, or packaging you choose is Food Grade, you can look for the numbers within symbols such as 1 PETE, 2 HDPE, 4 LDPE, 5 PP, or the glass and fork symbol. These symbols indicate that plastic boxes, plastic crates, plastic drums, plastic plates, or plastic packaging are made from Food Grade plastic and are safe to use. In addition to the symbols displayed on the containers indicating they are made from Food Grade plastic, standardized production is another factor to consider, with relevant industrial product standards being TIS 2884 and 2744-2559, which all Food Grade plastic containers should adhere to.Jenstore by Jenbunjerd is a distribution center for storage equipment and Food Grade plastic containers that meet export standards, such as plastic boxes, plastic crates, plastic drums, and plastic pallets, for general use or for various businesses and industries, ensuring quality and safety in use.In addition to providing manufacturing, distribution, sourcing, and export services for industrial products in the categories of plastic boxes, plastic crates, plastic drums, and plastic pallets from Thailand's most diverse quality brands, Jenstore by Jenbunjerd, as a leader in industrial goods with over 10,000 varieties of products to choose from, offers comprehensive solutions that effectively meet the needs of customers across all industrial sectors. Jenbunjerd also provides consultation services from experts with extensive experience in the industrial product field regarding selecting, using, or manufacturing industrial products in various categories, to help every customer receive products that are perfectly suited for use in their respective businesses and industries.Whether it's products in the material handling and industrial wheels group, trolleys, 2-wheel hand trucks, 4-wheel trolleys, stainless steel platform trucks, hand lifts, utility carts, cleaning trolleys, pallet trucks, trolley wheels, rubber wheels; or products in the storage equipment group, plastic boxes, plastic pallets, plastic crates, tools, tool cabinets, aluminum ladders, steel shelving, stainless steel tables, workbenches, waste bins, chemical spill trays, and industrial fans – all are ready to elevate storage, lifting, and moving within businesses and industries, catering to customer needs for industrial products at all levels and across all industries in the most complete and comprehensive way possible.Jenstore is ready to assist in selecting products for your business, along with comprehensive after-sales service, because your satisfaction is what Jenstore values most.For more details or to order products, please contact:Website : https://www.jenstore.com (Live Chat) Tel : 02-096-9999 (200 lines) Email : [email protected] LINE Official Account: @jenstore Facebook : เจนสโตร์ - JenStore by Jenbunjerd
2023-09-25