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Points For Plastic
A critical element to back-of-the-house food preparation is the type of containers used to store food. Everything from 100-lb. bags of flour to open cases of ketchup need to go into something safe and easily accessible. Increasingly, foodservice operators are turning to plastic containers. Stainless-steel and other metal containers have their place, operators say, but the advantages of plastic containers in many storage situations outweigh those of metal. "Most of my employees are women," says Peggy Lawrence, director of foodservices for the Rockdale County Public Schools system in Conyers, Ga., which has 17 facilities. "So I want [bulk] storage that is convenient for them, that won't cause back strain or [handling] accidents and is also efficient." 
To that end, she orders large, lightweight plastic bins on extra-wide casters that can fit easily under worktables. Such bins can hold well over 100 lbs. of flour, sugar, dry milk and other dry ingredients. Because so many dry products are white, the bins must be labeled, but visibility is not an issue for Lawrence. She uses opaque bins that are clearly marked. "When [kitchen staff] get ready to bake, they just roll the bins out and use these gigantic scoops," she says. Other bulk-ingredient bins feature clear lids that provide visibility of the product inside. 
Safety and convenience for employees are always major concerns, but operators look at many other features when buying containers. Plastic containers are useful for refrigerating foods, either in walk-in coolers or reach-in refrigerators. .These containers and their lids are usually clear or translucent, so the contents can be easily identified without removing the lid–a key element in preventing cross-contamination. Plastic containers with black bases and clear tops contribute to a nice front-of-the-house presentation and, therefore, can go directly from the refrigerator to a salad or deli bar. They come in hundreds of sizes and shapes. A key advantage to plastic containers, according to Alvin Rayl, purchasing agent for Via Christi Regional Medical Center, Wichita, Kan., is their price. "They are more economical than metal; they are durable and forgiving to a point [if dropped]; they're easy to store and easy to stack." Other advantages: Plastic containers are easy to clean, the edges are smooth so they don't cause skin scrapes and they are dishwasher-safe. While he understands the value of plastics, Rayl sticks to metal containers when reheating or cooking. "We prepare our foods, such as lasagna, in pans that will go right in the steam table," he says. "We are using high temperature, and usually a plastic container won't work." Disposable plastic pan liners, though, are available for foodservice operators who use metal containers for cooking. Coming in packs of 100 for under $20, they eliminate the tough cleaning required for baked-on or burned-on metal pan surfaces. 
The three types of plastic containers most commonly used in foodservice are made from polycarbonate, polypropylene and high-density polyethylene, all tough, nontoxic materials, with temperature ranges from -40ºF. to 210ºF. Polycarbonate is clear and shatter-resistant, and stands up the best over time. Polypropylene is often translucent and is the most heat-resistant. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) has excellent protective barrier properties, and is the most economical of the three. Most 5-gal. food buckets are made from HDPE. Shape, as well as size and material, must be considered when choosing plastic containers. Round containers hold less product than their square counterparts with the same height and diameter, but their shape allows air to circulate around them in the refrigerator. Square containers don't allow for that circulation, but can be densely stacked. Rayle comments that plastic containers have been around a long time, but have really come into their own in the last five or six years. "We used to improvise with plastic. We used empty cottage cheese and sour cream containers to store [food] in, so I knew they were safe. Now we have all these improvements happening with plastic." View All Graduated Plastic Containers View All Plastic Bulk Storage Bins   
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