CHAPTER 35 - CONTAINERS & LIDS

Any containers you use for storage of food items need to be those that are labeled as food-grade.  This eliminates many of the risk the foods within those containers being contaminated with toxins as the plastic degrades and releases chemicals for the food to absorb. 

One way to determine if your plastic containers are food grade is to look at the bottom of the container.  Most food grade containers will have “#2” or “HDPE” (which translates to high-density polyethylene) stamped on the bottom of the container. 

Make sure you wash with soap, rinse, and dry completely before placing food inside.  5-gallon capacity food grade containers are usually best when storing large amounts of food and also for storage of foods purchased in bulk. 

The lids for these containers are also very important as they need to seal tightly in order to be airtight, watertight, and spill-resistant – ideally, lids for these containers will have gaskets in order to get a tight seal.