What plastic bags are safe for food?
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If you're looking for bags to package snacks, baked goods, produce and more, we have different food safe options to meet your food grade plastic bag needs.
Food-grade plastics are plastic materials that are considered safe for use in food. Plastics must meet strict requirements to be considered food safe and are regulated to a higher standard than plastics used for other purposes.
Types of materials used in food packaging bag
Some of the most common materials used to protect food and keep it fresh are: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene and composite bags, which consist of a variety of materials joined together to achieve a higher degree of protection than might be possible with a single material.
How food packaging keeps food fresh
Flexible films protect against direct contamination by bacteria, mold, etc. This ensures that food is stored in a sanitary environment between packaging and consumption.
The most common type of food bag is a rolled, clear flat bag with a paper core. They are made of 100% hdpe or ldpe virgin material. Their biggest advantage is that they are safe, non-toxic and non-hazardous for direct contact with food.
The material used to make our food grade plastic bags is called low density or linear low density polyethylene. This material has excellent resistance to dilute and concentrated acids, alcohols, bases and esters. Specifically, low density is one of the best choices for translucent bags, which makes them ideal for items such as evidence bags, medical bags and pharmaceutical packaging. The chemical composition of the bags will not interact with the contents, thus providing your customers with an uncontaminated end product.
There are hundreds of options when storing or packaging products in food-grade plastic bags. Packaging can even be customized to reflect your brand's color scheme, any text or information you want to display, and your logo prominently displayed on the package. When using this type of packaging, you can be confident that your products will be delivered to your customers in the safest way possible.
Factors to consider when buying food storage bags
Here are some tips that may be helpful when purchasing food storage bags.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are two types of plastics that are widely used for food storage and packaging.
PET is mostly considered safe, but may not be safe when heating or storing hot foods. However, you may consider storing dry foods in PET bags.
HDPE is heat resistant and can be used for minor heating in a microwave oven. This type of plastic does not leach harmful chemicals or toxins.
Sometimes, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is also used to make food bags, which can be used to refrigerate food. Avoid heating these bags.
Avoid using plastic packaging, especially for covering hot foods.
Use recyclable HDPE plastic bags. You can use them multiple times; however, once they are worn or scratched, you can send them for recycling.
If you need them in bulk, consider buying HDPE plastic rolls with perforations. They're great for storing vegetables and dry contents/.
These HDPE roll bags are also great for commercial use and can be found at retail stores. You can reuse them later at home.
You will get HDPE plastic bags with holes on both sides. These are ideal for storing leafy vegetables because they can breathe and stay fresh in the refrigerator.
When you buy them, read about the materials used to make the plastic bags.
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