If your business is in the food preparation sector there are a plethora of things to consider to make sure that you stay within the law from a food hygiene point of view, as well as minimizing waste.
The balance between the two is fine. Over-ordering stock to make sure you have sufficient to meet customer demand can result in stock going out of date or worse, going to waste. Order too little and you may not be able to meet customer demand and thus lose out on valuable business.
If you’re concerned about the level of waste in your business or would like to find out how you can reduce it further, The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) provides some useful guidance.
One area that needs careful consideration is the type of food packaging you use, particularly in cold rooms. Let’s take a look at five things you should think about.
Cost considerations
Buying walk-in cold rooms for your business is expensive enough, the last thing you need is for your packaging to be extortionate too. You should also consider how you are going to store your items and perhaps look at Used Pallet Racking available from companies like https://www.rackzone.ie/pre-owned/racking as an alternative way to stock items.
Shop around and speak to different suppliers, see what deals they can do for you if you buy in bulk. While, of course, the cost is a factor, it shouldn’t be the only one. Other things to consider are whether you can reuse the packaging, this will not only help to increase its cost-effectiveness but also minimize your environmental impact, which always reflects well on a brand.
What are it’s green and hygiene credentials?
You take great care with how you handle and prepare your own products and it would be a shame to be let down by your packaging. While you might assume that all food packaging is non-toxic, it’s always good practice to double-check and ask suppliers for the appropriate documentation to verify this.
The very nature of freezers and cold rooms means that there is an awful lot of moisture in the environment. So, you need to make sure that your packaging is resistant to moisture, again you should get a guarantee from the supplier.
Finally, back on environmental issues, are the packaging products you’re planning to buy biodegradable and can they be composted? Ask to see your supplier’s EU compostability certificate to be sure.
