Plastic food packaging safety can make or break a food business. As a food service operator, your choice of containers matters. It affects food quality, customers’ health, and your business’ reputation. Understanding proper packaging standards isn’t just about compliance — it’s about maintaining customer trust and protecting your business.
Food business owners must heed these safety concerns. Improper packaging can lead to regulatory violations and liability issues. Adhering to these compliance requirements can be stressful and confusing, especially when the mandates change frequently. And that’s okay. You’re not alone.
In this guide, we’ll share what a half-century of experience has taught us about our top priority: keeping your food safe. You will learn how regulations, testing, and standards protect your customers while keeping your business thriving.
The Importance of Plastics in Everyday Life
Safety in plastic food packaging is essential because it contains products we consume. But plastic isn’t just found in food packaging.
This remarkably adaptable material has managed to integrate itself into every corner of our world. From your morning toothbrush to lifesaving medical equipment, it’s the master of disguise in the materials world — one minute keeping your lunch fresh, the next showing up as part of a car’s dashboard.
Think of plastic as modern engineering’s most reliable solution: it’s lightweight, doesn’t rust, keeps things fresh, and manages to be cost-effective in the process. Plastic’s practical versatility has made it indispensable in solving countless everyday challenges. It’s the quiet innovator that has transformed how we package, protect, and preserve nearly everything in our lives.
The journey of plastic safety begins with its fundamental building blocks: the raw materials.
Raw Materials: Where Safety Starts
Food packaging safety begins with raw materials at the most basic level. Plastic packaging manufacturers receive pellets that are melted into sheet, from petrochemical manufacturers that create the products downstream from crude oil and natural gas. These sheets are molded by heat into the packaging products you receive at your business.
But what goes into this plastic? How is it tested? Let’s put on our science hats for this next part!
Before plastic can be used for food packaging, it needs to pass important safety tests. The plastic sheet supplier conducts these tests to ensure their material is safe for food contact. Let’s simplify the complex testing protocols: plastics that contact food undergo two types of tests:
- They soak it in pure water at a very hot temperature (250°F) for two hours.
- They soak it in another liquid called heptane (similar to gasoline) at 150°F for two hours.
The goal is to see if any chemicals leak out of the plastic during these tests. The rules say that only tiny amounts of chemicals (less than 0.5 milligrams per square inch) can come out during either test. This helps ensure that harmful chemicals won’t get into your food when the plastic is used for food packaging.
The plastic supplier then provides paperwork. It proves their material passed the safety tests. It’s like a safety certificate for the plastic.
What Are the Industry Standards for Plastic Food Packaging Safety?
Think of food packaging safety like the rules of the road — every country has them, and they’re there to protect everyone. In the United States, the FDA acts like a traffic cop for food safety, ensuring everything touching your food is safe.
The rules for plastic food packaging are especially detailed. Just like you wouldn’t want your car made from unsafe materials, the FDA doesn’t want your food stored in containers that could leak harmful chemicals. They’ve created a detailed rulebook (it’s called Title 21) that spells out exactly what kinds of plastic can touch your food and how they need to be tested.
But it gets more interesting. Different states can add their own rules too, kind of like how some states have different speed limits. For example, New York and California might have stricter rules about certain chemicals than other states. Some states, such as Oregon, have banned the use of single-use plastic bags.
Since these safety standards can vary by state, what happens when a package is made in one state but sold in another with stricter rules? Manufacturers often adopt the most stringent regulations as their standard to ensure compliance across all states, simplifying the production process and reducing the risk of non-compliance. This approach helps navigate the complexities of both federal and state regulations, ensuring that plastic packaging is safe and legally compliant wherever it is sold.
What Are the Standards Outside of the United States?
When sourcing food packaging internationally, standards can vary dramatically by region. While some countries maintain strict protocols matching US and EU requirements, others may have more relaxed oversight. The real challenge comes from suppliers who might advertise compliance but take shortcuts in testing or documentation. Some overseas manufacturers might send perfect samples for testing, but actual production runs could use different materials to cut costs.
How to Be Sure Your Plastic is Safe
Regarding food packaging safety, knowing the right questions to ask the supplier can protect your customers and your business. From FDA-mandated testing procedures to state-specific requirements, understanding these safety standards is crucial for any food business. Here are straightforward steps to determine if plastic packaging is truly food-safe:
1. Ask Your Supplier These Key Questions
Have their materials passed the FDA’s safety tests? Specifically, ask about the two critical tests: the 250°F water test and the 150°F heptane test. Any reputable supplier should be able to show you certification that their materials passed these tests with less than 0.5 milligrams of chemical transfer per square inch.
2. Request Documentation
Just like you keep records of food safety compliance, your packaging supplier should provide clear documentation of their safety testing. Think of these certificates as your packaging’s safety report card — they’re proof that you’re doing your due diligence to protect your customers. 
3. Know Your Local Requirements
While FDA standards apply nationwide, some states (like California) have additional requirements. Knowing these local standards helps you:
- Stay ahead of inspections.
- Avoid potential fines.
- Build trust with local health authorities.
- Demonstrate professionalism to your customers.
4. Use This Knowledge to Your Advantage
Understanding packaging safety isn’t just about compliance; it’s a business advantage. When customers or health inspectors ask about your packaging safety, confidently explaining your safety standards shows you’re a professional who takes food safety seriously. This knowledge can:
- Help you stand out from competitors who can’t explain their safety standards.
- Build customer confidence in your business.
- Protect you from liability issues.
- Support your marketing claims about food quality and safety.
Looking Ahead: Safety First
Your customers trust you with their health every time they eat your food. You recognize that food safety doesn’t stop at the ingredients — it extends to every container that touches their meal.
Now that you know what makes food packaging safe, you can make informed decisions protecting your customers and your business. Cutting corners isn’t an option when it comes to food safety. Your customers deserve nothing less than packaging that’s proven safe, and you have exactly what you need to deliver it.
Finding the right fit for you Is our priority, whether that’s Inline Plastics’ solutions or another option entirely. Questions We’re always here to help.
