Plastics
High density polyethylene 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 polyethylene. Plastic storage containers are the most popular types of containers to store dry goods. Water can also be stores 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 needs 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.
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 over and over again, but it does take specialized equipment.
How do you determine if a container is ozone resistant?
ReplyDeleteDo you have a list of plastics that are considered safe for food and liquid storage? What about if I'm storing raw materials and essential oils, is there one plastic that is better than another?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post. Foods can be stored quite safely in HDPE, LDPE, MDPE, PET, PP, glass, and tin. You'll want to test for sure though. Here's another post that might help with some of these questions: http://blog.containerandpackaging.com/2009/09/what-plastic-type-is-best-for-my.html
ReplyDeleteHere's another post on essential oils that might answer your questions: http://blog.containerandpackaging.com/2009/05/containers-for-essential-oils_18.html. The short answer is that if you are storing pure, undiluted essential oils, you'll want to store them in colored glass. If you're going to mix oils with other products (e.g. lotions or creams), then PET is the best plastic type to use.
I am looking to purchase several containers for storing bulk grains. I am looking to store in 4-5 gallon size containers. I'm looking for suggestions on type of container and type of lid. In particular, does the lid need a gasket if the grain may be stored more than a year.
ReplyDeleteFour to five gallon pails (square or round) are excellent containers to use to store grains. Here's a link to our food storage page with some ideas that I hope are helpful. http://www.containerandpackaging.com/FoodStorage/FoodStorage.asp
ReplyDeleteCouple of tips: I like the square pails because you can fit more in less space because they fit next to each other better than rounds do. We even have a video on these; we call them our EZ stor pails. They also have some pretty nifty and convenient hinged lids for when you DO open them, it makes it easier to get back into them again and again. See the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/conpakvideos#p/u/4/tft0qOe1RLs
As for lids ... a gasket is obviously better because you'll get a more sure seal. This helps to preserve the grain as well as keep weevils out. However, and this is me talking now (i.e. this is NOT the official company recommendation), but I've got several hundred pounds of wheat that I've stored with just a plain non-gasketed lid. I personally spoke with someone at the State Department of Agriculture a couple of years ago, and they said that weevils are actually just protein and that they aren't a threat to your health.
Please note that this is my personal opinion and should not be interpreted as an official recommendation.
The ideal combination is the EZ Stor pail (square pail) with a gasketed hinged tear-tab lid.
Pail: P104P
http://www.containerandpackaging.com/item.asp?item=P104P
Lid: PL6104H
http://www.containerandpackaging.com/item.asp?item=PL6104H
Would it, in the end, be far more economical, not to mention more environmentally friendly, to spend a bit more money on better plastic food storage containers than those disposable ones. The short answer is, yes.
ReplyDeleteI think the quality of the plastic container plays a part. For example, less expensive containers tend to crack or stain much easier than better quality ones. I usually try to stay away from disposable plastic food storage containers.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Jesse. It also depends on the type of food (e.g. tomato soup) and the type of plastic that you store it in. V8, the tomato drink, will store very nicely in PET, but has a high probability of staining HDPE.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Keith, foods can be stored safely in HDPE, LDPE, MDPE, PET, PP, glass, and tin but as you mentioned anything stored that is a product of tomato will most probably stain the container. Although there are of course methods of cleaning and taking out those stains it is always better or advisable to be mindful of the age of the containers as almost any plastic product these days begins releasing harmful cancer causing toxins. Even items as common as bottles of water bought from the store start giving off these harmful toxins after a short time.
ReplyDeletePeople love efficiency and affordability but I'm still of the mindset that you get what you pay for, so I'm not too conservative when it comes to buying quality that lasts and is environmentally friendly for your family's health. With that said everyone is different and is entitled to their opinions but keeping a mindful eye never hurt anybody.
Nowadays you can even store food in Portable Storage Containers equipped with acclimatized interiors to keep food at your desired temperature.
ReplyDeleteThey can be rented or purchased and used as a Portable Storage Containers
What people do not realize is that there are actually good and bad Plastic Food Storage Containers. Only the best products will keep your food from spoiling the longest.
ReplyDeleteI also like to use plastic containers to store many food related things .
ReplyDeleteI agree to what ButtKurst said. The problem is, we still don't know how to determine the best plastic food storage container.
ReplyDeleteHi Jacob,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post. You're right, there isn't an easy answer as to which material is best to store food products. It all depends on the product and the usability you're searching for. We do have a list of approved materials to be used in food storage to guide your search - HDPE, LDPE, MDPE, PET, PP, glass, and tin. Sample a few material options and find out which works best for you.