What Is a Food Tray?
Food trays, primarily made of chemical materials like expanded polystyrene, are thin and flexible trays utilized for packaging fresh food items, including fish and meat. Known for their hygiene, safety, and freshness preservation qualities, these trays are resistant to oil, durable across a wide temperature range, and microwave-safe. The rising environmental awareness has led to a push for recycling these traditionally disposable trays, with initiatives from the 1990s onward promoting in-store collection for recycling.
Uses of Food Tray
Food trays are extensively used in grocery stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores. They serve various purposes, from packaging fresh produce like meat and fish to pre-cooked items like sushi and deli products. These trays not only facilitate product display, but also aid in maintaining hygiene and preserving the freshness of food items. They are an integral part of food retail and storage in modern dietary lifestyles.
Principles of Food Trays
The manufacturing of food trays begins with naphtha, a byproduct of refining crude oil. Polystyrene resin is produced by polymerizing styrene monomers derived from naphtha. This resin, when combined with a foaming agent and heat, expands into expanded polystyrene sheets (EPS), which are then vacuum-formed into food trays. The properties of EPS, including its light weight and ease of molding, are transferred to the trays.
Types of Food Trays
Food trays come in various sizes, shapes, and colors. Recent environmental concerns have led to innovations in tray materials, with developments in plant-based trays using corn, cassava, or kenaf. These environmentally friendly alternatives are gaining popularity in response to issues like marine plastic pollution.
Other Information on Food Trays
1. Characteristics of Food Trays
Expanded polystyrene food trays offer numerous benefits: they are lightweight, strong, insulating, water-resistant, impact-absorbing, hygienic, and effective in preserving food freshness. The use of these trays has transformed the sale of fresh products like meat and fish from traditional face-to-face methods to the modern supermarket style of self-service from refrigerated shelves.
2. Evolution of Recycling
Focusing on environmental protection, the industry has made significant strides in recycling food trays. White trays are reprocessed into polyethylene resin pellets and reused in producing new trays, reducing petroleum use and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by about 30% compared to manufacturing from crude oil. Non-recyclable trays are repurposed into other materials, contributing to a circular economy.