Carried Away

Mobility defines much of modern life, and meals are no exception. Even in restaurants, where takeout was once antithetical, chefs are increasingly offering dishes to go, catering to hurried customers who want it all: quickness, quality, and carryout.

But making good food into go-food requires many considerations, not the least of which is smart packaging that maintains the integrity of a well-made dish. Today’s containers, made with high-grade materials that have the ability to keep hot foods crispy hot and cold foods chilled, offer more choices than ever. In addition, they are microwave useable and safe, have clever corner hinges and locking systems that keep containers tightly sealed and very portable, and are designed for easy stacking and storing. With all these virtues, what more could foodservice ask for?

Actually, they ask for style, colors, shapes, and custom logos too. The packaging industry has met these demands with a range of boxes, hexagons, and rounds, sturdier compartments, and bowls for ethnic rice and noodle dishes, as well as good-looking totes for the growing category of salads.

A Better Box

If custom nonrectangular shapes are part of the lexicon of modern to-go packaging, so are new materials, such as polypropylene, a lighter, less expensive material ideal for the contemporary shapes. Food commodities such as corn, potatoes, rice, grain grasses, and bamboo plants—all known for their strong fibrous pulp—are also appearing in the packaging parade. When combined under pressure with heat and other ingredients such as limestone and recycled paper, these composite containers made of natural materials are sanitary, safe, and lightweight, and biodegrade easily in composts.

“We view our products as workable alternatives to aluminum, plastic, foam, and paper,” says Keith Groenewold, marketing director of GSD Packaging. “Our Bio-Pak concept was designed to find alternatives when a ban on plastics was issued on the West Coast in 1990. We make these containers from renewable resources—no old growth trees, but genetically fast-growing ones. We believe this is much more responsible than using oil-based plastics, a nonrenewable source.” Bio-Pak containers do have a polypropylene lining, just a half millimeter in thickness, that coats the heavy-duty paperboard boxes. The ultrathin poly layer is “the key to keeping foods fresh,” Groenewald adds.

Pick-A-Package

“Food venues understand that containers are not just for leftovers anymore, they’re part of an overall packaging program, keyed to their menus,” says Michelle Quirk, marketing coordinator for Genpak, one of several manufacturers developing new take-out packaging that looks good, works well, and is also economical. As a bonus, some are ecosensitive, made from recycled products.

Image Makers

With custom fonts and a spectrum of colors available, foodservice needn’t opt for cookie-cutter looks anymore.  But beware the cost, advises Alan Kossoff, president of U.S. Box Corp, a large importer and marketer of various kinds of packaging products. “If you move from standard white or brown craft [cardboard] to any colors, you generally double your cost.” Kossoff also cautions against committing to any packaging made of unique or exotic fibers. “You could get locked in to one supplier,” he explains, “whereas if you have a prototype of something more available, you can ask any supplier what it will cost, and they’ll have to be more competitive with pricing.”

U.S. Box fits into the foodservice market with branded upscale packaging. “We do a lot of the hot-stamp process, where a metallic foil stamp of someone’s logo is put on a glossy box…It makes the container look instantly upscale.” U.S. Box also offers the use of their in-house art department to help refine a company’s look or logo. “We’re generally aware of what the competition is doing in a certain sector,” Kossoff states, “so we can give suggestions for something more distinctive and offer choices that make economical sense.”

Although style and cost are important considerations, convenience reigns.  The packaging must suit the needs of both the diner and restaurant.

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