Explore the Value of Customized Food Containers for Produce
You rely on containers to transport and protect your agricultural products, so why not use customized food containers? As a packer, grower, or processor of fresh fruits and vegetables, you understand the industry challenges and requirements of the FDA for safe packaging and transportation of your produce. However, your produce containers can be compliant and offer the benefits of customization.
Customized Food Containers Must Be Safe for Produce
The FDA Produce Safety Rules require that food packing material be adequate for its intended use, which includes being either cleanable or single use. It must also be unlikely to support the growth or transfer of bacteria. Reusable containers have the added burden of having to be cleaned between uses.
Corrugated boxes used as clean, single-use produce packaging mean that you and your customers can be assured that bacteria aren’t being transferred from one shipment to the next. The Fibre Box Association and its member companies have been conducting an annual test to ensure microbial levels on interior surfaces of corrugated produce containers fall within the acceptable limits. The 2018 testing demonstrated that all corrugated containers sampled were well within the acceptable limits, and nearly 85 percent had no organisms detected at all.
Conversely, a study out of Guelph University assessed the cleanliness of reusable plastic containers (RPC), which are a common alternative to corrugated. The study concluded that the RPCs were not sufficiently cleaned before delivery to growers and that the decontamination process needed to be reviewed to enhance efficacy. Corrugated produce containers are single use, so this risk is eliminated. Plus, they are recyclable, allowing you to feel comfortable knowing you are using an ecologically friendly alternative to RPCs.
Customized Containers Provide A Variety of Options
Not all fruits and vegetables have the exact needs. Transporting delicate strawberries will be much different from transporting watermelons, so customizing to your produce’s needs becomes essential. Produce boxes can be designed as bulk packaging, a shelf-ready solution, or cold chain packaging, and for mechanical packaging systems.
Properly designed packaging will ensure your produce arrives farm fresh. The produce cartons may be designed as two-pieces with a lid for additional protection. They can be made stackable with an interlocking design to provide additional stability. The produce boxes can also be customized to provide adequate airflow for your produce product while maintaining strength. They may be further customized with extra reinforcement, insulation, or moisture barriers.
Customized food containers aren’t limited to boxes used for distribution or retail display. Today, there are many produce subscription services that deliver directly to consumers. These individual boxes often have a more rigorous journey being delivered by Fed Ex, UPS, or another delivery service and require additional customization to prevent the mixed produce from arriving damaged and bruised.
Boost Your Brand With Customized Food Containers
In addition to providing a safe means for transporting produce, corrugated produce cartons offer a blank canvas for vivid, eye-catching graphics. Retail ready packaging for club stores or discount supermarkets, like Aldis, provides you an opportunity to catch the consumer’s attention with beautifully printed graphics. Grabbing consumers’ attention can improve product turn and reduce shrink.
Custom graphics help you gain brand recognition. Whether your box is sitting in a retail store or on the doorstep of a consumer, custom graphics allows your brand to be immediately recognized and associated with the quality of the produce inside.
Choose an Experienced Partner
Choose Axis Container and Display to provide your customized food containers. We have extensive experience with manufacturing custom corrugated produce and agriculture products. We offer custom design services to provide you with ideal packaging for your produce. It doesn’t matter if you need a small or large volume; we can deliver.
To find out more about the corrugated produce solutions we offer and how they can help you optimize your produce operations, don’t hesitate to contact us today.