You should use food grade containers for storing anything you intend to eat. A food-grade container will not transfer non-food chemicals into the food and contains no chemicals which would be hazardous to human health.
If you are uncertain whether a container is food-grade or not, then contact the manufacturer and ask if a particular container is approved for food use. If in doubt, don’t use it.
There are four main types of food storage containers: plastic, glass, metal, and paper/cardboard. Each has its advantages and disadvantages that you need to consider when deciding which is best for you.
Plastics
Plastic containers are lightweight, inexpensive, and usually microwave safe. However. High-density polyethene buckets may have HDPE stamped on them, or a recycle symbol with a “2” in the middle. You can also look for plastic containers made from polycarbonate, polyester or polyethene. Plastic storage containers are the most popular types of containers to store dry goods. Water can also be stored safely in plastic containers.
Metal cans
For storing dry foods metal cans work great, but they tend to be more expensive than plastic containers, take specialized equipment to use (glass jars also need special equipment to store food), can be hard to come by and they can only be sealed once. For these reasons, metal cans are not the most popular solution. Unfortunately, metal cans can rust from both the inside and out.
Vacuum pouches
Vacuum pouches also take special equipment to work with, but once sealed properly they last for a long time. They can be reused over and over if they remain sealed. The equipment required to properly seal a vacuum pouch is not expensive and can be found at most department stores.
However, when it comes to vacuum punches for food storage there are a wide variety of brands and types to choose from which can make it difficult to know which one is the best.
Glass jars
Compared to metal cans glass jars are very stable, but they don’t handle being dropped or bumped hard very well. The biggest advantage that glass jars have is the ability to be reused repeatedly, but it does take specialized equipment.
Glass jars come in a wide variety of sizes, making them perfect for storing anything from spices to large quantities of flour or sugar.
The downside to glass jars is that they can be expensive, and if not, careful they can break easily. If you are going to use glass jars for food storage, be sure to get ones that are made specifically for canning or preserving.
In conclusion
The most important thing to remember when choosing food storage containers is to make sure that they are food grade. Non-food grade containers can leach chemicals into your food which can be hazardous to your health. Once you have determined that your containers are food-grade, then you can decide which type of container is best for you based on your needs and budget. If you’re looking to buy food containers for your place of business, visit VenturePak.
Venturepak are suppliers of plastic packaging in the form of injection moulded tubs, pots and buckets. All products on offer are tamper evident, produced from high quality food grade polypropylene, and conform to the highest standards of food safety and hygiene regulations.
Most of our products can also be decorated using in mould labelling (IML) techniques. Stock is held at our facility in St Helens, Merseyside, meaning goods can usually be dispatched immediately following receipt of an order for delivery 1-3 days later.