Tray Packaging 101. Understanding the Materials and Applications of Food Trays. Part 1

Seems like every grocery aisle in the supermarket is now filled to the brim with more packages and wrappers than your last visit. The wide array of choices available is now more significant than at any previous point in history. Be it rare dates from the middle-east or fresh selections of meat cuts from across the country. 

Variety is not limited to food options alone.

The materials used to package these edibles boast as much versatility. While all this choice is great to select from, it can be difficult to pick the packaging medium perfect for your food brand.

Packaging is not strictly for aesthetics and reinforcing your brand’s image. It’s the entity that transports your edible product securely to your consumer’s home.

Tray packaging is a popular choice for wrapping edible foods. Be it Lunch-ables for your kids or delicate produce for your dinner menu. Tray packaging offers a multitude of choices to companies in the food business.

Types of Tray Packaging Materials to Choose From

The great thing about selecting tray packaging is that it comes in many materials and many shapes and compartment sizes. Meaning you can select the tray packaging material most suited to the unique requirements of your edible product. 

That’s what makes adhering to food-safety requirements easier as well when you pack with food-grade trays. Here is a quick look at materials most commonly used to manufacture tray packaging:

Plastic Tray Packaging

The most routinely used material has also been highly disputed lately. It’s still the single greatest material when it comes to economical options of water-proof packaging. Plastic offers many pros when it comes to efficiently transporting food over large distances. 

Here are the plastics used to construct food-grade tray packaging:

1. C-PET

C-PET trays are extensively used in both the fresh meat and produce and microwave-able ready-to-eat meal sections. They come in many shapes and sizes and can be custom-made as well. Another plus is their high adaptability with most modern packaging machines.

While this material is designed to be recyclable, very little gets recycled. That makes it a cost-effective but high carbon footprint tray packaging option.

2. RPET

RPET takes less energy to produce and recycle than other plastics. So food trays made with this material are generally considered to be a more environmentally friendly option than PET or C-PET. Although it comes at a slightly higher price point than virgin PET.

3. PET

PET is another popular choice for single-use food trays because of their high transparency. PET is built to handle liquids and semi-liquids with excellent durability. 

Partially thanks to its somewhat elastic nature and endurance to withstand handling. PET can be recycled and reused as well.

Aluminium Tray Packaging

Aluminium food trays live up to the reputation of aluminium being the most globally recycled material. Trays made of this material are light, sturdy, and easy to transport.

Aluminium also lends itself well to high-temperature foods and semi-liquids. Unlike certain plastics, it doesn’t leech flavour or colour into the product it packages.

Aluminium trays can be manufactured in a multitude of sizes. Their crimped sides and edges give excellent sturdiness to the tray while keeping the aluminium sheet from ripping.

Some drawbacks of choosing aluminium food tray packaging are that:

• They need to be wiped clean of all food residue before recycling.
• They can’t be microwaved. Not the best choice for ready-made foods.
• Unlike sealed soda cans, they cannot be completely sealed to be leak-proof.
• Require proper due diligence and quality testing. Else toxic levels of aluminium can cause diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and bone disease.

Paper Tray Packaging

Paper packaging is not only versatile. It’s also very trendy with environmentally conscious consumers. Paper offers a range of customisation such as embossment, graphics, and print that no other material can match. Paper has many food-safe applications, from thin take-out boxes to more sturdy cardboard produce trays.

Due to their collapsible structure, tray packaging made with paper is very cost-effective to transport. Often, the boxes and trays are constructed as needed on-site, saving on fuel and reducing their carbon footprint further.

Paper itself is not water-resistant. Although cardboard trays lined with a food-safe waterproof barrier can offer an excellent alternative to plastics.

Another use for the material is in the organic produce section. Their high recyclability and tendency for easy home compost make them a favourite among the health food crowd.

Paper packaging trays allow fresh produce to stay well-ventilated during transit. Thus, saving your company’s resources by reducing food damage and waste.

Cardboard and paper may be highly acclaimed as the more sustainable choice for single-use packaging. But it’s important to remember that when these materials are not composted or recycled, they can cause more harm than most plastics.

BAGASSE Tray Packaging

Food trays made from left-over biomaterials are a newer innovation. Bagasse is the pre-consumer by-product of the sugar manufacturing process. It's fast taking over the tray packaging scene because of its many benefits:

• It’s easily bio-degradable and non-toxic. 
• It’s safe for use in freezers and ovens for certain temperatures.
• The fibrous nature of this material makes it ideal for making food-grade tray packaging.
• The compostable home nature of trays made with bagasse material actively involves the consumers. Making them an attractive choice if you wish to target younger, more carbon-conscious customers.
• No trees need to be grown and cut down to produce it, and it uses the otherwise waste product in industrial applications.

Bagasse trays have the drawback of softening up if refrigerated for more extended periods. They also are not very compatible with high-temperature foods and liquids. The cost of production can also be high as they are not as widely manufactured as plastics yet.

Which Material Is Right for Your Business?

Tray packaging can elevate your food business if done correctly. To learn more about tray packaging materials and machinery, visit BluePrint Automation today. Our representative would be happy to guide you about primary and secondary food packaging right for your brand.