Food storage containers are widespread in use throughout the world and have probably been in use since the first human civilizations.

History

Early civilizations

In early civilizations cereal grains such as

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

etc. were stored in large airy buildings, often raised up from the ground to reduce infestation by pests and

vermin Vermin (colloquially varmint(s) or varmit(s)) are pests or nuisance animals that spread diseases and destroy crops, livestock, and property. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included vary by regi ...

. Ancient Egyptian and early Hebrew writings include reference to such buildings and their successors can still be seen in use in less developed countries and regions. Smaller quantities of food were stored in

basket A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff Fiber, fibers, and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, Stolon, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials ...

s made from woven

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

es or

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

and such designs have remained in use to the present day. In Afghanistan, rural farmers have for hundreds of years maintained a technique of storing fresh grapes in mud-straw containers called . In more recent times but prior to the invention of the refrigerator many food products were stored in the home as preserves or pickles, often in heat sealed jars such as Kilner jars

Modern containers

In the modern developed world, a very wide range of

food packaging Food packaging is a packaging system specifically designed for food and represents one of the most important aspects among the processes involved in the food industry, as it provides protection from chemical, biological and physical alterations ...

and containers is now available made from many materials. ;

Plastic container Plastic containers are containers made exclusively or partially of plastic. Plastic containers are ubiquitous either as single-use or reuseable/durable plastic cups, plastic bottles, plastic bags, foam food containers, Tupperware, plastic tu ...

s Many products use low-density polyethylene formed into

plastic bag A plastic bag, poly bag, or pouch is a type of container made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, Powder (substance), powders, ...

s or plastic boxes. There are many makers of plastic boxes some such as

Tupperware Tupperware is an American company that manufactures and internationally distributes preparation, storage, and serving containers for the kitchen and home. It was founded in 1942 by Earl Tupper, who developed his first bell-shaped container and ...

and

Lock & Lock Lock & Lock is a household products company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Since its establishment in 1978, Lock & Lock has been exporting products to 119 countries worldwide. The company has a wide range of product categories for food c ...

are known throughout much of the developed world. ;Metal containers Longer-term storage or storage of items needing a higher degree of protection from the elements may use

sheet metal Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Thicknesses can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil (metal), foil or Metal leaf, leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25 ...

. A common form of such storage is the biscuit tin. ''See

Canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although under ...

.'' ;Refrigerator Perhaps the most ubiquitous domestic item of

food storage Food storage is a way of decreasing the variability of the food supply in the face of natural, inevitable variability. p.507 It allows food to be eaten for some time (typically weeks to months) after harvest rather than solely immediately. I ...

is the fridge or fridge-freezer in which a wide variety of foodstuffs are contained and preserved through the use of low temperatures. ;Disposable Disposable food containers, a form of

disposable food packaging Disposable food packaging comprises disposable products often found in fast-food restaurants, take-out restaurants and catering establishments. Typical products are foam food containers, plates, bowls, disposable cup, cups, utensils, doilies an ...

, may be used for food or beverages. Disposable containers are often made of paper or paperboard, plastic (including plastic foam), or aluminum.

Industrial food storage containers

Wherever food is

harvest Harvesting is the process of collecting plants, animals, or fish (as well as fungi) as food, especially the process of gathering mature crops, and "the harvest" also refers to the collected crops. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulses fo ...

ed,

manufacture Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...

d or distributed there is a need for containers to enable the food to travel securely and in good condition to the

shop Shop or shopping may refer to: Business and commerce * A casual word for a commercial establishment or for a place of business * Machine shop, a workshop for machining *"In the shop", referring to a car being at an automotive repair shop * Reta ...

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the rural–urban fringe, out ...

or distribution depot. For many foods, especially those in their own individual containers such as canned vegetables, the common container is the

corrugated fiberboard Corrugated fiberboard, corrugated cardboard, or corrugated is a type of packaging material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat linerboards. It is made on "flute lamination machines" or "corrugators" and is used for maki ...

box, Corrugated boxes are available in many sizes. A variety of

bulk box A bulk box, also known as a bulk bin, skid box, pallet box, bin box, gaylord, or octabin, is a pallet-size box used for storage and shipping of bulk or packaged goods. Bulk boxes can be designed to hold many different types of items such as pl ...

es are also used.

References

*Robertson, G. L. (2013). "Food Packaging: Principles & Practice". CRC Press. *Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, *Yam, K.L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009,

External links