foam food container

Image:Yummp hk lunchbox.jpg with rice in a foam takeout container]]

A foam food container is a form of disposable food packaging for various foods and beverages, such as processed instant noodles, raw meat from supermarkets, ice cream from ice cream parlors, cooked food from delicatessens or food stalls, or beverages like "coffee to go". They are also commonly used to serve takeout food from restaurants, and are also available by request for diners who wish to take home the remainder of their meal. The foam is a good thermal insulator, making the container easy to carry as well as keeping the food at the temperature it had when filled into the container, whether hot or cold.

Construction and composition

Foam take-out containers are made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, or another type of polystyrene foam, and produced by injecting the foam into a mold. They are usually white in color, although they may be printed or impressed with a company logo or other message.

EPS foam is sometimes incorrectly called Styrofoam as a generic term. Styrofoam is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company for closed-cell extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam, used for thermal insulation and craft applications. By contrast, EPS foam is typically white and made of expanded polystyrene beads, and used for disposable coffee cups, coolers, or as cushioning material in packaging.{{cite news|last1=Stevens|first1=Laura|title=There's No Such Thing as a Styrofoam Cup|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-styrofoam-cup-1397175263|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=11 April 2014|access-date=21 November 2017}}

Another trade name for EPS is thermacol, originated by BASF.

Varieties

Image:Khanom krok in container - Thailand.JPG, Thai doughnuts with egg and coconut fillings in a foam container]]

The different varieties of foam takeout containers may include:

A rectangular shaped clamshell style container with an attached lid, which comes in various sizes. The larger ones usually feature several compartments, allowing different foods to be kept separated from each other. This variety usually features several small projections on the lid of the container, which fit through slots on the bottom half to "lock" it, therefore keeping the cover closed. These containers are leak-resistant only if kept upright, and often have a square imprint area for labeling.
A cylindrical style container with a separate, translucent or opaque plastic lid which can seal tightly to resist leaks. The container may or may not taper somewhat towards the bottom. Both overall size and the ratio of height to diameter can vary greatly. Such containers usually hold soups and stews; however, smaller varieties are often used to hold sauces and condiments.

Chinese cuisine

Foam containers are the most commonly used takeout box for Chinese cuisines in East and Southeast Asia. It is standard for Cantonese cuisine in Hong Kong and many parts of China and sometimes used overseas in various restaurants, particularly in the United States and Canada.

Environmental issues

Foam takeout containers entirely made out of polystyrene foam affect the environment as they do not biodegrade easily.{{cite web|title=Polystyrene Foam Report|url=http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html|work=Earth Resource Foundation|access-date=20 March 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325091953/http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html|archive-date=25 March 2013}} However, microbial degradation of styrene via methanogens has been investigated and confirmed, intermediate products being various organic substances and carbon dioxide.{{cite web|url=http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/documents/56647/56647E.pdf+|title=Deep Geologic Repository Project|website=ceaa-acee.gc.ca|access-date=1 February 2023}} Pseudomonas putida can also convert styrene oil into various biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates.{{cite web|last=Roy |first=Robert |url=http://www.livescience.com/technology/060307_styrofoam_cup.html |title=Immortal Polystyrene Foam Meets its Enemy |publisher=LiveScience |date=2006-03-07 |access-date=2018-04-16}}{{cite journal | last1 = Ward | first1 = PG | last2 = Goff | first2 = M | last3 = Donner | first3 = M | last4 = Kaminsky | first4 = W | last5 = O'Connor | first5 = KE | year = 2006 | title = A two step chemo-biotechnological conversion of polystyrene to a biodegradable thermoplastic | journal = Environmental Science and Technology | volume = 40 | issue = 7| pages = 2433–7 | pmid = 16649270 | doi=10.1021/es0517668| bibcode = 2006EnST...40.2433W }} Some cities have banned the use of foam take-out containers, notably San Francisco,{{cite web|url=http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/san_francisco_b.php|title=San Francisco Bans Styrofoam for To-Go Containers|website=treehugger.com|access-date=2009-03-18|archive-date=2009-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304230904/http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/san_francisco_b.php|url-status=dead}} Seattle{{cite web|url=http://www.sustainableisgood.com/blog/2010/07/seattle-styrofoam-ban-leads-to-packaging-changes.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710102945/http://www.sustainableisgood.com/blog/2010/07/seattle-styrofoam-ban-leads-to-packaging-changes.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 10, 2010 |title=Seattle Styrofoam Ban Leads to Packaging Changes |publisher=Sustainableisgood.com |date=2010-07-06 |access-date=2018-04-16}} and Portland, Oregon.{{cite web|url=http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?a=109474&c=41472 |title=City of Portland Garbage and Recycling Rules and Regulations |publisher=Portlandonline.com |access-date=2018-04-16}} In 2013, the mayor of New York City proposed banning foam food containers for both health and environmental reasons.{{cite news|last=Grynbaum|first=Michael M.|title=To Go: Plastic-Foam Containers, if the Mayor Gets His Way|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/nyregion/next-bloomberg-target-plastic-foam-cups.html|access-date=20 March 2013|newspaper=New York Times|date=February 13, 2013}} Implementation of this plan was put on hold while the ban was litigated by restaurant owners and polystyrene manufacturers. After three years of litigation, a judge ruled in favor of the city. In 2019, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a state-wide ban.{{cite news|last=Ferré-Sadurní|first=Luis|title=New York State Moves to Ban Foam Food Container|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/23/nyregion/foam-containers-ban-ny.html|access-date=25 December 2019|newspaper=New York Times|date=23 December 2019}}

Health issues

According to American Cancer society the use of polystyrene is safe for food services .[http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0706a.shtml "Microwaving food in plastic: Dangerous or not?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107121027/http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0706a.shtml |date=2015-01-07 }}

Styrene is considered by both the EPA and IARC to be a possible carcinogen.{{cite web|url=http://www.epa.gov/chemfact/styre-sd.pdf |title=epa.gov |publisher=epa.gov |date=2018-04-03 |access-date=2018-04-16}}{{cite web|url=http://www.inchem.org/documents/iarc/vol82/82-07.html |title=inchem.org |publisher=inchem.org |date=2002-12-04 |access-date=2018-04-16}} It poses a health risk to workers involved in the production of styrene and polystyrene items, and industries have a compliance program to deal with liabilities.{{cite web|title=Polystyrene Foam Report|url=http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html|website=Earth Resource Foundation|access-date=18 August 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325091953/http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html|archive-date=25 March 2013}}{{reliable source|date=August 2015}} Prolonged exposure to high amounts of styrene may affect the central nervous system.{{Cite journal |last1=Welp |first1=E. |last2=Kogevinas |first2=M. |last3=Andersen |first3=A. |last4=Bellander |first4=T. |last5=Biocca |first5=M. |last6=Coggon |first6=D. |last7=Esteve |first7=J. |last8=Gennaro |first8=V. |last9=Kolstad |first9=H. |last10=Lundberg |first10=I. |last11=Lynge |first11=E. |last12=Partanen |first12=T. |last13=Spence |first13=A. |last14=Boffetta |first14=P. |last15=Ferro |first15=G. |date=1996-10-01 |title=Exposure to styrene and mortality from nervous system diseases and mental disorders |journal=American Journal of Epidemiology |volume=144 |issue=7 |pages=623–633 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a008973 |issn=0002-9262 |pmid=8823057|doi-access=free }}

References

Category:Food storage containers

Category:Single-serve containers