When it comes to produce packaging, designing a package that protects and preserves your food items is crucial. At Indepak, we offer a variety of packaging options for our specialty food clients, including the following.
Custom Clamshell Packaging
Clamshells are the ideal packaging choice for many types of produce, and we can design many different styles of clamshells, depending on your product. A basic square or rectangular clamshell with ventilation is an ideal choice for many fruits and veggies, including berries, grapes and tomatoes.
In some cases, you might not want ventilation, and we can design these types of clamshells, as well, for items such as pre-made salads, pre-cut and washed veggies and other items that are already washed and prepared for use. We also can design thin clamshells ideas for fresh herbs, such as basil, thyme, dill and more.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging
With this type of packaging, gases are controlled inside the package to help extend the life of your food. This type of food packaging, sometimes called MAP packaging, is becoming more and more popular because it reduces food waste and helps specialty food companies extend their market reach.
While we often think about modified atmosphere packaging with products such as fresh meat, poultry and seafood, it absolutely can be used for produce packaging. In fact, delicate items such as tomatoes and lettuces, are ideal candidates for this type of packaging. It can even help delay the ripening of some fruits and veggies. At Indepak, we can create the base of your packaging and work with your lidding supplier to ensure material compatibility.
Custom Trays
We can create trays suitable for modified atmosphere packaging, but also for other types of produce packaging. For instance, if you need black trays with clear lids for fruit plates or veggie trays, we can design attractive trays that display your fresh produce to its best advantage.
While some food companies opt for plastic bags to house items such as fresh lettuce, using a tray with a sealed lid also can be a great option, and we can design these types of trays, as well. With produce such as lettuce, the potential for damage is always an issue, but a sturdy, rigid tray either with a lid or lidding film can better protect delicate items.
Sustainable Options
Sustainability is always on our minds as we design packaging. Virtually all of the materials we use at Indepak are recyclable, and we also have the capability of designing produce packaging with recycled content, such as rPET. We also may be able to design your sustainable packaging using starch-based biomaterials.
Rigid Vs. Flexible Packaging
At Indepak, we focus on creating rigid thermoformed plastic packaging. We do not produce flexible plastic bags or other types of plastic bags that might be suitable for produce. While flexible packaging is popular, it isn’t as protective as rigid plastic packaging, which is why we highly recommend it for many delicate produce items.
Flexible packaging is best suited to sturdier fruits and vegetables, such as dried fruits, potatoes, green beans, apples, oranges and other less delicate foods. Of course, you can still opt for rigid packaging for many of these “tougher” produce items.
Aside from protection, another reason to consider rigid packaging over flexible packaging is the recycling factor. While a flexible package sometimes does not require the use of as much plastic, it really cannot be recycled easily and usually just ends up in landfills. We can design produce packaging that is easy for consumers to simply toss in their curbside recycling bin.
Produce Packaging Suppliers: Why Choose Indepak?
At Indepak, we focus on providing rigid plastic packaging, which is an ideal match to many produce items, especially items that can be damaged easily. Rigid packaging is highly protective and impact-resistant, which helps to protect your items during transport.
We’ve been creating custom packaging for specialty foods clients for more than 50 years, and we have the experience necessary to create just about any type of produce packaging you need. We also can create packaging for just about any type of food product, including custom trays for frozen meals, cookies and crackers as well as tubs with lids to hold yogurt, butter, sour cream, etc. We also can create clamshells to hold deli items, such as sandwiches, wraps, pasta salads and more.
Additionally, we have earned FSSC 22000 certification. This is an ISO-based standard that is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative, an international organization focused on improving food safety around the world. When it comes to food packaging, safety is crucial, and every aspect of our production process is focused on providing you with the highest-quality, safest packaging possible.
We also have ISO 9001:2105 certifications, which speaks to our commitment to quality in all aspects of our business. At Indepak, we believe that quality is everyone’s job. As a result, we are proud of best-in-class quality scores from some of the most demanding customers in the world, including many specialty foods clients.
If you need produce packaging or any type of rigid plastic food packaging, give us a call at (800) 526-6273. You also can email us at sales2@indepak.com or simply fill out our quick contact form.
