Food trailers, food trucks, mobile kitchens. Whatever you call them, they seem to be all the rage right now. And why not? Innovative people have found ways to make quality food quickly in a confined space. And they can do so in a restaurant that goes to where the customers are. That’s brilliant! (Not to mention that the payments for the truck can be a fraction of what some people must pay in leasing space for a restaurant in major cities.)

Food trucks, more than a restaurant, must depend on recyclable, disposable or compostable food containers and packaging to serve their food and drink. It just doesn’t make sense for them to use reusable plates, bowls or utensils. Each food truck has different needs when it comes to containers as well. How much space do we have to store containers? What types of food will go in the containers? Does it need to keep the food at a certain temperature for a while? Should the container have a marketing message on it? How big is the budget for the containers? All these and more go into consideration when a food truck manager is looking to find a vendor for their containers.

A quality vendor can go along way in helping a mobile kitchen get the most from their containers. They will offer ideas on how to serve the food, what shape containers work best for their application, how to store them, how often to order and general guidance on how to get the most out of this part of their business.

The most popular types of containers for food trailers depend greatly on the types of foods served. For those serving sandwiches, our 22500 & SN227 works wonderfully. If subs are on the menu then our 21900 and 26600 foam hinged containers would probably fit the bill. If larger portion meals are being served it is best to jump up to our foam hinged dinner container line. Our most popular sizes are the SN240 medium container and SN200 large hinged container. Both come in either one or three compartments. Another great option for Asian foods is our 20500 or 20600 which can hold most any Asian dish with ease. Also keep in mind if you prefer a compostable option, most of the sizes mentioned here can be obtain from our Harvest Fiber line.

What containers a truck’s food is handed to the customer in very important. They need to keep the food neat (and possible separated from other food) and at the right temperature. They need to hold up to the heat or cold of both the food and environment where the food will be taken (whether it is being placed in a fridge or to a picnic on a 100 degree day). And since many times they are the first thing that a customer sees coming off a truck, they need to portray the appropriate image that the food truck wants to put out there.

But while food containers are very important, it is not something food truck entrepreneurs want to concentrate too much on. After all, they got in the food truck business to cook and serve great tasting food, not to worry about containers.

Tell us about your favorite food truck meal or experience. Was it something you couldn’t get anywhere else, or was it something that they just did better than anyone else?

Here we go again.  Another politician has decided to make it hard for local food service businesses to prosper and grow by imposing bans on the types of food packaging they may use.  This time in the state of Massachusetts.  It ironic because if you read this Senator’s biography, part of it says “…focusing on economic growth, expansion and initiatives…”.  If he really did the homework on this he’d realize by banning PS foam items, he’s forcing small businesses to choose alternative packaging that is sometimes 3 times as expensive.  Instead of me rambling on about the negatives of this awful and job killing bill that will do nothing but increase pressure on small businesses and trade one type of litter for another.  I’ll instead defer to the American Chemistry Council who have written a very well thought out and thorough opposition letter to this toxic legislation.

The other evening I was watching a little TV and noticed one of our foam hinged take out containers being used during one of the scenes.  I knew it was a Genpak foam hinged container because I’ve worked here long enough to recognize our stuff at a quick glance.  Drives my wife nutty when we are out and I spot a Genpak item.  I’m driven to tell her the item code by the same instinctual drive that makes salmon swim upstream to their place of birth to mate.  But I digress.  Anyway, I thought it would be fun to spend a few minutes to try an find actual shots of our stuff being used in TV.  Here’s what I came up with.

The Big Bang Theory has quickly become one of my favorite shows.  Here we see Sheldon and Leonard during one of the many meal scenes with our BLK10 and what looks to be our 20500.  If you look really close at the inset picture in the lower right, you can see our signature mustache design which is the give away here.

Since there are often take-out meal scenes in this show, it was easy to find several.  Here is another scene where our SN203 large hinged container is being used.

 Moving on, this one is my favorites as you can even see the embossing decoration we do.  The Have A Nice Day is one of our more popular stock embossed jobs.  Here it looks to be our SN223 sesame container.  There’s also a 21900 hinged container on the table.

This one is from the same episode.  I included it because I thought it was funny that they are actually using this container upside down.  They placed the food in the lid.  That big empty part of the 20500 is actually where the food is supposed to go.  I guess they probably don’t actually use real take out food as most restaurants would know where the food is supposed to go.  Oh well, we’ll give them a pass this time I suppose.

Switching away from this show, I remembered an episode of Seinfeld where one of our plates was in a shot.  It was the episode where George tries to mix his lovin’ with food and television.  Here we see George in action while reaching for a pastrami (the most sensual of the cured meats) served on a 71000.

Our stuff is seen regularly on the Food Network as well.   Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives is one where we show up often.  This was taken from a show focusing on Greek Gyros.  The plate here is our LAM10.

I’ve also seen our stuff being used in movies as well.  One I recall was Million Dollar Baby.   The scene was where Clint’s character was bringing in lunch to Morgan Freeman’s character.  For the life of me I could find any images to post though.  The point here is take-out food packaging is part of the fabric of everyday life.  So much so we see it in TV shows and movies that portray regular folks going about their business.  We rely on it to keep our food fresh, safe and secure.

]]> http://blog.genpak.com/index.php/2012/01/13/food-packaging-goes-hollywood/feed/ 0 http://blog.genpak.com/index.php/2011/12/29/food-packaging-is-essential/ http://blog.genpak.com/index.php/2011/12/29/food-packaging-is-essential/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:28:42 +0000 Ken Gap http://blog.genpak.com/?p=940

I’m not exactly sure when some people started to consider food packaging as evil or something that was detrimental to our very fabric of life.  But I’ve noticed a few blogs and articles being written that would suggest such a thing.  I think many of those bloggers and stone throwers are the types of folks that just need a cause to be angry with.   And with some of the recent legislation being forced upon food operators and consumers that prevent them from making their own decisions regarding food packaging, it gives those toxic bloggers something to latch onto.  Many times, most of what is written contain misleading and many times out right false facts.  I’ve read things so bizarre and misleading, I sometimes wonder if the people writing these articles bother to do any research at all.  So, I’d like to take just a few of the most common falsehoods and shed some easily verifiable facts to them for you.

The first is that many types of food packaging are not even needed.  For example say produce that are sometimes placed on foam trays and wrapped in plastic.  Some argue that peppers, cumbers and the like have their own, natural wrapping and do not need extra protection.  What they don’t tell  you is that a cucumber that is wrapped in this type of packaging increases its shelf life from 3 days to 14 days.  Similarly, studies show that other types of produce such as apples and grapes that are placed on foam produce trays and wrapped will reduce product damage and waste by up to 27%.  If it were up to this small group of people who dislike any type of food packaging, supermarkets and grocery stores would be throwing what would and should be, perfectly good food stuffs going into consumers homes,  right into the dumpster.  Another little fact they never tell you about is that 40% of the food produced in the US is never even consumed.   Much of the reason is food spoilage that could have been avoided with the correct type of packaging.  34 million tons of food waste end up in the solid waste stream with 98% of that going into landfills where they will eventually produce methane gas.  FYI methane gas is 20 times more damaging than CO2 and landfills account for 17% of the methane emissions.  Also and FYI, that foam tray and plastic wrap, when properly disposed of do not produce methane gases.   Lastly, food waste at supermarkets and other food operating establishments represents $40 billion in waste.  Again, with the right type of food packaging, that number does not need to be so high.  Food packaging will extend the product shelf life by preserving freshness, even when it gets to consumers homes as well as protect it from damage.  Don’t take my word for it.  Try an experiment on your own and see the results.  The next time you buy a bunch of bananas, split the bunch in half.  Wrap one half with the type of packaging I talked about and leave the other as is.  See how many days those bananas last.  You will be amazed at the results.

The second topic I’d like to cover is the call for all food packaging to be biodegradable/compostable.  Anybody who has read my blogs previously knows I’m a believer in compostable packaging.  In fact we offer a very wide selection of compostable packaging with our Harvest Fiber brand.   What I am against is this dictator like approach that forces food service businesses into this one type of packaging.  What these ill informed people fail to realize (including many legislators) is that while most of the traditional food packaging is manufactured right here in the US, nearly all of the compostable types of packaging are actually produced in China.  Every time a ban is imposed in favor of one type of packaging not made here in the US, more pressure is placed on an already dwindling US labor force.  Don’t get me wrong.  Not all compostable packaging comes from overseas.  Some companies, like your friends right here at Genpak do produce this type of packaging here in the US.  But I think most of it still is imported.  Another point the “pro ban” crowd fail to consider is the economic effects their lopsided legislation has on businesses.  Most all compostable packaging costs much more than traditional packaging.  The economics of supply and demand have not caught up in this category yet.  I need to point out that the reason these items cost more is not because the manufacturers are just charging more, it’s simply because the raw materials cost more and the products are much heavier than their traditional counterparts.

The last point I’d like to bring up is safety, specifically for foam food packaging.  The naysayers love to use scare tactics that would lead you to believe you’ll contract some awful disease, grow a third eye or become afflicted with some other malady.  Foam food packaging has been used SAFELY for over 40 years.  What they don’t tell you is many health organizations encourage the use of single-use food packaging, including foam packaging, because it provides increased food safety by helping prevent food borne illnesses.  By using, say plates and bowls once, it significantly reduces food contamination and the spread of diseases.   According to a study done in Nevada and analyzed by a third party inspection agency, reusable food service items had much higher microbiological levels than single-use items.  Using single-use items also eliminated possible cuts and scratches from chipped service ware and eliminated the need for dish washing that requires a great deal of electricity and water not to mention the possibility of water spillovers which could cause work place hazards.  I’m not saying single use is perfect for ever situation, but I am saying it is a perfectly safe and viable, low cost option that has been successfully used for decades.

So, the next time you read some venomous article about food packaging do me a favor.  Take a few minutes and confirm some the so called “facts”.  You’ll quickly learn much of it is folk lore, half truths or complete falsehoods and it’s my guess you’ll debunk nearly everything being written.

Until next time…

I was asked the other day, what some of the trends are in the food packaging industry. We get these questions from time to time from our customers. Presumably to make sure their packaging choices are staying up-to-date, or perhaps they want to buck the current trend and go with packaging that may be “retro” or against the grain (I like those). Either way here’s what we told them in no particular order of importance.

1. Product light weighting. I think anybody who drinks bottled water has noticed the bottle has gotten really thin. You can especially tell when you open the bottle and allow it to pressurize. Does it leak or tear or break in any way. Not at all. Did I still get my 12 ounces of cold refreshing aqua? Yes. This might seem minor to the average Joe out there (and that’s what the bottlers want to happen), but it saves millions and millions of pounds of raw materials annually. Subsequently, cost is being taken out of the supply chain. The manufacturer of the bottles are paying less due to the decreased raw material usage and they in turn past savings on down the line. Now, does all of that savings end up with the consumer? Good question. Has your bottled water price gone up, down or stayed the same?

Now we don’t produce water bottles but we do produce many other food packaging items and have been asked by some of our customers to lower part weights. This is obviously to lower the overall part price. In some instances that’s not too hard to do, but I want to caution you on this practice. For example let’s look at our foam hinged containers. We have been asked and in fact have taken weight out of some select items. In each case we’ll create a new part number with the new weight and keep the current number and part weight for those customers who do not want to reduce the weight. In many cases, customers will ask for reduced weights to meet competitive pricing situations where a competitor has offered a lower weight item. All this is fine and dandy. But sometimes I think it is easy to be seduced by the lower price of the light weight parts and start to use them for other, existing business where a lighter part might not work as well. A full meal of say lasagna may really tax I light weight version of a foam hinged container whereas the standard weight had been working well all along. The moral of the story here is you do get what you pay for. It’s best to test first before committing full speed ahead on a light weight project. As always, all you really need to do is pick up the phone and call us, or shoot us a quick email with your question. One of our food packaging professionals will contact you within 24 hours.

2. Smaller overall package profile. I think in many ways this relates right back to light weighting products. A smaller food package profile could translate into a lower price point. There certainly are advantages to a smaller profile. If your particular use for food packaging is going to end up on a supermarket shelf, a smaller profile will enable you to put more packages on that shelf. A smaller profile might also enable you to put an additional sku on that shelf with your brand name. For example, let’s say you sell cookies that come in a clear hinged container big enough for a dozen cookies. That supermarket is perfectly happy with placement with the rest of the cookies and bakery items of similar size and portion. But, if you could reduce the footprint of that hinged container to something smaller (I’d recommend our small hinged delis) and reduce the number of cookies where your product could now also be marketed in the 100 calorie isle, you’ve just doubled your exposure. That might not be the best example, but you get the idea. Once again, we can help with any food packaging scenario. In fact some of those deli containers I mentioned earlier are a direct result of such a situation.

3. Optimized product visualization. What this means is that food manufacturers want to give consumers the best opportunity to see their product within its package. In many instances, this means taking what we call “side flutes” out of the design. If you look at one of our foodservice lids you’ll notice the flutes going vertically on the lid. These are designed in to give the lid strength. Many times restaurants will stack meals to go one on top of the other when packing them into their take-out bags. The lids need to be strong enough to hold that meal being placed on top. By adding this geometry to the sides, we can accomplish this strength without the need to add more material to the part (lower part weight). The trend now though is to remove side flutes in favor of increased visibility. Not so much on lids like this, but rather complete packaging you might find at the supermarket. Fortunately, your friends at Genpak have a solution. Our line of Supermarket Containers fit this description to a t. Notice the elimination of any such fluting that would detract from product visualization. Same goes for the lids we offer for this line. In fact, you have probably seen and used one of our containers as we have many food processors that utilize these great packages for their product. They are produced from #1 recyclable PET and contain up to 40% post consumer recycled content. So they fit the optimized visualization profile as well as have a nice environmental story to tell.

Alright, I know that food packaging trend report turn a little into a Genpak sales pitch, but hey, it’s my blog. And hopefully you did get some good knowledge from reading it.

Until next time…

Paper based food packaging is on the rise.

U of FL dining facilities go “green”.

The science of food and food packaging. A long and intense article on food packaging and the science behind the quest for increased shelf life. Something the “non-packaging” crowd often times forgets. If it were not for innovative food packaging solutions, food spoilage and waste would be even greater than it already is today.

Sabra Humus. You need to sit through a quick commercial, but about 2 minutes in you’ll see a great looking package that holds the best humus on the planet.

Creepie food packaging art work. Yeah I’d say these should have been reviewed before release. I especially find the blueberries a little disturbing.

This one made me laugh. Point well taken.

Pack Expo breaks attendance records!

Intelligent food packaging. Now that is cool.

Food packaging does so much more than you think.

Consider these points before you make an opinion on bashing food packaging!

Another community attempting to ban one type of litter for another. Say hello to higher restaurant bills and colder food when you get it home.

Canned food benefits. I wonder what makes some canned foods more nutritious than their fresh or frozen counterpart? Bullet point 2 in this article.

The right packaging design can mean the difference between a sale and not.

Hermosa Beach city council just voted to raise the average price of a restaurant meal and/or squeeze already struggling businesses out of existence. Why? To trade one kind of litter for another. Makes perfect sense to me.

Markham is a community with leaders who have some foresight. They don’t ban their way through issues, they find workable solutions. Bravo! The city leaders of Hermosa Beach should take a page from Markham’s play book.

Bring your own dishes? I applaud all those who try to do more with less. We practice that everyday in our business, but this person’s arguments are not well thought out. They probably did not consider that for the convention center in question to actually use china dishes instead of single use products, they actually used far more natural resources than the alternative. Those dishes don’t wash themselves. Thousands of gallons of water, huge amounts of electricity (usually from coal power) to run the industrial washers, not to mention all the heavy chemicals it takes to actually clean those permanent plates. There’s no easy answer but I’ll bet a paycheck none of these people even considered this. Also, the practice of giving restaurants your own dishes from home to put food in is extremely unsafe. Sure, you know your dishes are clean, but what about the next guy that brings his home dishes in for the restaurant owner to bring to the back of the house for filling? I don’t know about you, but I’d feel much more secure in the cleanliness of single use products touching all those cooking and preparation surfaces than some other guys dishes off the street. No thanks! And by the way, #6 polystyrene is NOT toxic. Get your facts straight next time.

It was sort of a slow news week. Of course there is always the radical blogger spouting off half truths and incorrect data in an attempt to scare people from one substrate to another, but none were worth posting here. Enjoy.

Boost food sales with the right take out packaging. Of course, we’ve got the best line of take out containers and dine in food packaging available today!

QR codes will soon be on everything from food packaging to outdoor advertising.

Very neat end of life scenario for food packaging.

I wish we spent more time talking about this topic of food waste. This short piece makes a lot of sense but is seldom discussed.

Really? Should it be up to the packaging companies to design their containers so skunks won’t get stuck in them? Maybe this blogger should spend more time throwing stones at the careless litterbugs out there.

Pack Expo breaks attendance records. It’s amazing just how large the packaging industry really is.