What Is The Best Material For Disposable Lunch Boxes?

Disposable lunch boxes are widely used in the catering industry, but consumers are paying more and more attention to food safety. Lunch boxes that use food-grade materials (such as no fluorescent agent, no plasticizer) and meet international food safety standards can not only protect consumer health, but also enhance brand trust. This article will explore in depth the material selection, safety standards, and certification of food-grade disposable lunch boxes to help companies optimize product competitiveness.

2.1 Polypropylene (PP)-The Safest Food Contact Material

What is polypropylene (PP)? Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic and one of the five general-purpose plastics (PE, PP, PVC, PS, ABS). It is polymerized from propylene monomers and has the following characteristics:

• High temperature resistance (can withstand 100℃~140℃)
• Lightweight and durable, good impact resistance
• Strong chemical stability, not easily reacted with acids and alkalis
• Non-toxic, in line with food-grade safety standards

Due to its safety and practicality, PP is widely used in food packaging, medical devices, household products, and other fields.

Huizhou Yangrui Printing and Packaging Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer dedicated to PP disposable Chinese food togo boxes, and its main product is PP lunch boxes. As a manufacturer mainly engaged in food packaging, Yangrui is committed to conveying the concept of "ecological environment protection and health" to people and providing food-grade products to the market. After exploring and understanding the domestic and foreign markets, we have mastered and accumulated advanced production and R&D technologies, continuously upgraded products and equipment, and introduced advanced German automated production equipment and product transformation and upgrading technologies many times.

2.2 Why Is PP the Best Choice for Food-Grade Disposable Lunch Boxes?

• High Temperature Resistant and Microwaveable

The melting point of PP is about 160℃, and the short-term heat resistance can reach 120℃~140℃. It is suitable for holding hot food and microwave heating (it is recommended to heat for a short time at medium and low heat). Compared with PS (polystyrene) and PET (polyester), PP is more stable and does not easily release harmful substances when heated.

• Food Grade Safety, No Plasticizer

PP itself does not contain bisphenol A (BPA) and plasticizers (such as phthalates), and is a common material for baby bottles and fresh-keeping boxes. Passed FDA (USA), LFGB (EU), SGS, BPA REE testing... and other food contact material certifications.

• Oil-Resistant and Leak-Proof, Suitable for a Variety of Foods

PP material has good oil resistance and is suitable for food with soup and grease (such as takeaway meals, spicy hot pot). Compared with paper lunch boxes, PP is more leak-proof and not easily penetrated by oil.

• Lightweight and Moderately Cost-Effective

PP Chinese food togo boxes are lighter than glass and ceramics, suitable for takeaway delivery, and cheaper than degradable materials (such as PLA), suitable for merchants to purchase in bulk.

2.3 How to Identify High-Quality PP Lunch Boxes?

• Look at the logo: Qualified PP food safe lunch boxes should have a "PP5" triangle recycling logo, or indicate "food grade PP".
• Smell: Poor quality PP may have a pungent plastic smell, and food-grade PP should have no odor.
• Measure temperature resistance: Fill with hot water to observe whether it is deformed. High-quality PP should not deform or leak.
• Check certification: confirm that it has passed FDA, LFGB, QS, ISO, and other standards

As a manufacturer of disposable PP Chinese food togo boxes, Yangrui ensures that products are safe, compliant, and high-quality, which is the key to its core competitiveness. Inferior materials (such as those containing fluorescent brighteners, recycled materials, and industrial-grade PP) not only endanger the health of consumers but also affect the brand reputation and even cause legal risks. The following is Yangrui's full-process solution from raw material procurement to production control, helping you avoid inferior materials and produce food-grade PP lunch boxes that meet international standards.

3.1 Strictly Screen Raw Material Suppliers

 

Yangrui only selects compliant food-grade PP raw materials and only purchases "new materials" (Virgin PP), and refuses recycled materials (Recycled PP) or recycled materials. Recycled materials may contain pollutants such as heavy metals, plasticizers, ink residues, and poor temperature resistance. Suppliers are required to provide food-grade certification: FDA (USA), LFGB (EU), GB 4806.7-2016 (China Food Contact Material Standard). RoHS certification (to ensure that there are no harmful substances such as lead and cadmium). The department will ask the material supplier for the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) and COA (test report) of the raw materials to confirm that the melt index (MFI), ash content, volatiles, and other indicators meet the requirements.

3.2 Avoid PP Materials Containing Fluorescent Whitening Agents

Fluorescent whitening agents (such as OB, KSN, etc.) are often used in inferior plastics to make the product look more "white and bright", but they may migrate into food and have a carcinogenic risk if ingested for a long time. Yangrui factory will test all purchased materials to ensure their safety of the materials. Each batch of materials arriving at the factory will pass the strict inspection of the QC department, and the safety of the materials must be ensured before entering the warehouse. Detection method: UV light (365nm) irradiation, materials containing fluorescent agents will emit blue-white light. In addition to strict testing, suppliers are also required to provide fluorescent whitening agent test reports.

3.3 Establish a list of high-quality suppliers for long-term cooperation

Yangrui company will give priority to food-grade PP agents of well-known chemical companies such as Sinopec, PetroChina, Exxon, Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC), etc. Suppliers are regularly inspected to ensure that there is no adulteration in their production process.
There are also strict quality control standards in the production process, secondary testing of incoming raw materials, and laboratory testing of items:

Melt index (MFI) - affects injection molding performance.
Ash content - too high may contain fillers (such as calcium carbonate).
Volatile matter - whether harmful gases are released at high temperatures.
Heavy metal migration test (lead, cadmium, mercury, etc.).

4.1 Workshop Cleanliness Control

Yangrui company adopts a closed production workshop, from strict screening of raw materials, to material processing, to product molding and packaging, it has achieved fully automated production to ensure that each product meets high food-grade standards. In 2021, Yangrui food packaging boxes supplier introduced ERP and production process control systems to achieve comprehensive digital management and realize transparency and standardization of production. The workshop uses an automatic feeding system, from automatic feeding to production, an automatic control system is used, which greatly reduces the error due to manual feeding, ensures the stability of production data, and the stability of production product quality. This is also highly appreciated and affirmed by domestic and foreign customers. Yangrui's product quality has always been highly recognized by customers, and it also avoids various complaints from customers due to product problems.
Yangrui has always adhered to the cleanliness and neat management of the production workshop. The workshop air filtration system (HEPA) is replaced regularly to prevent dust pollution. Temperature and humidity control (temperature 20~25℃, humidity ≤60%). The production equipment is specialized, and the production line is independently used for food-grade PP production to avoid mixing with industrial-grade plastics. The mold is polished regularly to prevent residual old materials or carbides.

4.2 Production Equipment Hygiene Management

Yangrui's production equipment is maintained and cleaned daily: the screw and barrel of the injection molding machine are rinsed with food-grade cleaning materials. Avoid using silicone oil or industrial lubricants (use food-grade lubricants instead).
The raw materials and finished products in the production workshop are stored separately to prevent cross-contamination, avoid contact with the ground, or exposure to dust.

4.3 Employees Are Certified to Work

Operators Must Pass the Food Contact Material Safety Production Training (Such as ISO 22000 Internal Training).
Any employee entering the workshop has strict dress requirements: wear clean clothes, masks, gloves (powder-free), and use 75% alcohol or food-grade disinfectant on hands every hour.
In the production process records, the batch traceability system records the raw material batch, process parameters, and the operator number of each batch of products. Electronic archives (ERP system) are kept for at least 3 years.

5.1 Items That Must Be Inspected Before Leaving the Factory

Testing items, Method standards, Qualification standards
Sensory test GB 4806.7-201:6 No impurities, no odor
Total migration GB 31604.8-2021 ≤10mg/dm² (simulated water, acid, oil)
Potassium permanganate consumption GB 31604.2-2016 ≤10mg/kg
Heavy metal migration GB 31604.9-2016 Lead ≤0.01mg/kg, cadmium ≤0.005mg/kg

5.2 Third-Party Certification and Customer Trust Building

Yangrui Company will regularly arrange for the finished products to be inspected by SGS (focusing on the detection of hidden risk substances such as nonylphenol and fluorescent brighteners). The test reports include: MADS, PFAS, SGS, EU, BPA, QS, ISO...
Yangrui adheres to transparent production: it opens video factory inspection to customers, showing the dust-free workshop and quality inspection process. Every shipment is strictly controlled, and every time the customer arranges for the inspection company to come to the factory for inspection, it passes smoothly. We also welcome factory inspections arranged by domestic and foreign customers.

Looking for a trusted supplier of high-quality, food-safe disposable PP lunch boxes?
Huizhou Yangrui Printing and Packaging Co., Ltd. is your reliable partner. As a professional manufacturer specializing in polypropylene (PP) food packaging, Yangrui offers:

• Microwave-safe and leak-proof food safe lunch boxes
• Products certified by FDA, LFGB, SGS, ISO
• Strict raw material screening & dust-free production environment
• Customized bulk orders and fast international shipping

Contact Information

Email: sales@packagingbag5.com
Website: www.packagingbag5.com
Phone: +86 180 8644 3226

1. GB 4806.7-2016 – National Food Safety Standard for Plastic Materials in Contact with Food
2. FDA Title 21 CFR Part 177 – Code of Federal Regulations: Indirect Food Additives: Polymers
3. European Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food
4. SGS Test Reports – Safety verification for BPA, fluorescent agents, and heavy metals
5. RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU – Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electronics and Plastics