A Comprehensive Guide to Disposable Food Containers
Whether you are running the business of wholesale food packaging, or you are the owner of a restaurant, a shop, a food supply management company, a catering service provider, a hotel, or a food service contractor, choosing the proper and qualified disposable food containers to all of you relating to food business is very important.
Undoubtedly, the quality of disposable food containers is very important. A high-quality disposable food container is not only used to serve the food but also needs to keep the food fresh, maintain food temperature, and ensure food hygiene during transportation.
The disposable meal containers are used to deliver the food from restaurant to home and also can be used to display exquisite food. They can be provided in various sizes, and shapes to meet different requests, such as packing the liquid/soup or packing the solid food will use different disposable food containers.
Disposable Containers in Different Types
People are used to distinguishing disposable containers according to different uses, let’s see what they are.
Parfait Cups
Parfait cups are a type of food container that is specifically designed for serving layered desserts. These desserts include yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, whipped cream, nuts, and other ingredients. These cups are usually transparent to attract customers to the tempting desserts inside.
The Features of Parfait Cups
- The disposable parfait cups are mainly made from plastic, glass, PLA
- Regular sizes are 8 oz, 12 oz, and 16oz with lids and spoon
- Suitable for cafés and bakeries, takeaway and delivery, events and catering
The Advantages of Parfait Cups
- Small, lightweight, and easy to carry
- Multiple uses, customizable
- Layered display for visual appeal
Deli Containers
Deli containers are a type of versatile food packaging container that normally looks clear, made from plastic. Restaurants use deli containers to pack salads, soups, sauces, and many other prepared foods, then use the snap-on lids as the cover to secure the containers to ensure freshness and prevent leaks.
The Features of Deli Containers
- Normally made from plastic, can be customized with other materials
- Secure with leakproof lids
- Most deli container materials are microwavable, allowing users to reheat the food if needed
- Can be used in the refrigerator, suitable for storing leftovers or pre-prepared meals
- Regular sizes are 8 oz, 12 oz, 16 oz, 24 oz, and 32oz.
The advantages of Deli Containers
- Different sizes of deli containers can help control the portion size
- Light, stackable, easy to handle
- Secure lids prevent spills and leaks during transport
- Easy to identify what foods are inside the container
Souffle Cups
Souffle cups are specifically designed for holding condiments, sauces, dressings, or small portions of food, so they are always known as portion cups or condiment cups. Souffle cups can be made into various sizes with different materials, restaurants often use them to pack ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, salsa, or toppings.
The Features of Souffle Cups
- Small size, normally ranging from 0.5 oz to 4 oz, specifically serving for small portions
- Offer with tight-fitting lids to prevent leaks and spills
- Offer with clear type, allow users to know what’s inside easily. Also, offer with opaque type to protect what’s inside
The Advantages of Souffle Cups
- Easy to pack or take out the small quantity of foods and condiments
- Aids in portion control, helping to reduce food waste and control costs
- Light, easy to take
- Stackable, easy to store
Catering Trays
Catering trays are designed for serving food in bulk, commonly used in catering services for events, parties, and large gatherings. These trays are designed in a large and flat shape to hold and display the food, such as appetizers, entrees, desserts, and more to many people.
The Features of Catering Trays
- Various sizes for serving small gatherings to large events
- Some trays come with compartments to separate different foods
The Advantages of Catering Trays
- No need to distribute food, people can take it themselves
- Lightweight, easy to move from kitchen to event location
Specialized Takeaway Containers
Specialized takeaway containers are designed to pack non-standard food for customers, such as pizza boxes, sushi containers, pastry containers, etc. These containers are used to be fitted with different shapes of foods, maintain the food quality, and ensure safe transportation.
Disposable Food Containers in Different Materials
You can also select the disposable containers for food by their materials. Let’s take a look at the materials of these containers on the market.
Bagasse Containers
The introduction of bagasse containers aims to replace plastic, foam, or other packaging materials that are not environmentally friendly. As all of us know, bagasse is the byproduct of sugarcane, this material is wholly natural and the disposable food containers with lids made from this material are 100% biodegradable and compostable, they are grease-resistant and water resistant, but their prices are relatively high.
Plastic Disposable Food Containers
Plastic disposable food containers can be made from different plastic materials, such as PET, PP, PLA, etc. Plastic containers are sturdy and versatile, they are leak-resistant and crack-resistant, but they are not biodegradable and need to take hundreds of years to break down in the environment. Even the PLA, some studies said, needs at least 80 years to decompose in the wild. Therefore, no matter which type of plastic packaging material is used, it will cause serious environmental problems.
Paper Food Containers
Paper food containers are a more eco-friendly choice. Generally, they are coated with a layer of plastic or wax to prevent the water or oil from soaking the paper packaging, so the paper packaging is not fully biodegradable and compostable if coated with these additives.
Foil Containers
Aluminum foil containers have excellent thermal conductivity, a great choice for a wide range of foods, from baked goods to roasted meats. They are lightweight, durable, and resistant to moisture, grease, and odors, suitable for pack takeout orders. Foil containers are less eco-friendly, and recyclable, but not microwavable.
Styrofoam Takeout Containers
Styrofoam takeout containers are made from expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), they are lightweight with great insulating properties, which is a great choice for takeout orders to maintain the food temperature. However, this material is not biodegradable, not eco-friendly, not recyclable, and not microwavable.
Now, do you know how to choose the right throw away food containers? They come in different types, suitable for different foods, and you can also choose the disposable containers that suit you according to different materials. Eco March is a manufacturer specializing in the manufacture of disposable food containers, and we also provide customized services. Whether you are a wholesaler of disposable tableware or a large catering service provider, we will be a good choice for you.
You may also interested in:
The complete guide to disposable salad bowls
The truth about disposable coffee cups
John Q
John Q is Eco March’s Product Manager. With 5 years of prior experience in the food industry after graduating from university, he has been an integral part of Eco March. He excels in creating and developing eco-friendly food packaging products with a keen focus on enhancing the consumer experience.
