What Is Food Grade Packaging?

What Is Food Grade Packaging?

As a prepper, you are probably building a food storage program. If you buy all pre-packaged foods, you don’t really have to worry about the safety of the storage containers as they should all be approved materials.

But if you are buying in bulk, breaking it up and storing it in more usable portions, you need to be concerned that the containers are safe for the food.

So what is food grade packaging anyways? And how do I work with it to ensure my food safety?

Basically, any type of packaging that comes into contact with food must be rated as food grade quality. If it is not, it has the potential to contaminate your food.

In a nutshell, it must be suitable for its intended use – safely storing food.

This means that the material must be able to be effectively cleaned to remove all contaminants (biological and chemical), and must be made of a material that will not interact with the food and leach into it – causing contamination.

What does being able to be cleaned really mean?

It means that the material must be able to withstand a thorough cleaning and sterilization process. It also means that the container should be constructed in such a way that there are no defects that could hide bacteria or other harmful substances that could survive a cleaning.

There is no requirement that the container has to survive multiple cleanings so before you reuse a food container, you should be sure that it can be cleaned properly and completely. Glass containers obviously can be cleaned thoroughly but other types – such as foam packaging and sealing rings and similar materials may not be able to be thoroughly cleaned and should be discarded after use.

And of course, there is one exception. Whole fruits and vegetables are allowed to be stored and shipped in wood and cardboard crates but it is strongly recommended that they not be reused as they cannot be effectively cleaned and have the potential to have contaminants build up in them.

So what are some suitable materials?

Interestingly, a suitable material depends on the type of food being stored in the container. For instance, some materials are not suitable for storing acidic foods or being microwaved.

Because of the variability of use and types of food stored, one type of storage container is not suitable for all food types/activities.

In additional to glass and some types of metal containers, a variety of plastics can be used for food storage. They include:

·  PET (polyethylene terephthalate) which because of its exceptional gas and moisture barrier properties is typically used for soft drinks because it can contain the carbon dioxide that gives soda its bubbles.

·  HDPE (high density polyethylene) – is an excellent container for liquid products like milk, juice and water. And it is also the material most five gallon food buckets are made of. (It is important to note that not all HDPE containers are food grade. The package will be labeled food grade if it is of that quality.)

·  LDPE (low density polyethylene) – is known for its flexible qualities which makes it excellent for squeeze bottles. It is also used as a coating on milk containers.

·  Vinyl (polyvinyl chloride, or PVC) is typically used for food wraps.

·  PP (polypropylene) is an ideal material for storing something that is poured into it hot. This could be something from a manufacturing production line or leftover dinner. Many storage containers that you buy at your local store are made of this material.

·  PS (polystyrene) is a versatile plastic that can be “foamed” to make a variety of containers like coffee cups and the trays that meat and produce are packed in at your local supermarket.

In general, the quality of packaging is something you never need to think about as it is handled by all the manufacturers/suppliers. Sometimes there are tweaks in the material design like when the BPA notice came out and the manufacturers change their formulation.

But anything you buy from a supermarket or a long term food storage manufacturer is already safely packaged in material that is suitable for the length of time the food will stay fresh.

It is only when you do your own long term storage that this should ever be an issue to you.

And in this arena, you have several excellent choices – airtight glass containers, vacuum bags like those used in vacuum sealers and HDPE buckets. You really can’t go wrong with these options as long as you practice safe food practices and pay attention to how long the food can be stored.