With increasing government regulation placed on food products, food-grade plastic agricultural containers have become crucial to the handling of fruit and vegetable material, as well as other food-grade applications. As more regulations are leveled, the wooden produce crates of yesteryear are being legislated into obsolescence.

Modern agricultural containers are exceptionally durable, made of FDA-approved materials, and are light and easy to use. They’re typically made of injection-molded plastics, which greatly reduces or eliminates the problems of their outdated wooden counterparts. This means no splinters, no nails, and no porous surfaces to house bacteria, contaminants, or insects.

Types Agricultural Containers

1. Vented

The vented version of these containers provide outstanding protection for fruit and vegetables while the full ventilation also allows for rapid cooling, generally resulting in less waste.

2. Solid

The solid-wall versions of these containers are made of the same FDA-approved materials, and have all the same benefits (just without vents), meaning they effectively contain liquids with zero leakage.

Container Materials

Agricultural containers are typically made of polypropylene (PP), which is a food-grade plastic. However, the containers can also be made of a food-grade version of high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

The HDPE version is sometimes a little less expensive, but the PP version is more resistant to temperature fluctuations. This type of container works very well for both shipping and storage of produce (or other food-grade materials), and are available with lids.

Other Uses

Food-grade containers are the standard for handling fruits and vegetables, but they also work beautifully for handling other food-grade products such as fish and meat.

While agriculture-specific containers can be used for other types of material handling and storage, it is usually not recommended. That’s because food-grade plastic is more expensive and is not essential when handling materials such as automotive parts.

Benefits

To recap, when looking for a quality, food-grade container – agricultural containers offer the following advantages.

They are:

• Made with FDA-approved materials.
• Light weight, yet very durable.
• Easy to clean, sanitize, and maintain.
• Available in several different sizes for different types of produce.
• Stackable and easy to handle to improve safety.
• Efficient and waste-reducing.
• High- and low-temperature resistant.
• Space-efficient.

It’s no surprise reusable agricultural containers, made of FDA-approved materials, have become the new standard for food material handling. They’re cleaner, safer, greener, and all-around better.

Having trouble finding the right fruit or vegetable container in our product catalog? Maybe you need to quote a custom project? Either way, our sales team can help.