Foodservice Packaging and… Litter Prevention

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Litter is a pervasive problem in the United States today. Refuse may be blown out of overflowing trash bins, inexcusably tossed by consumers onto streets and into yards, or illegally dumped into waterways. The role of foodservice packaging in the litter stream is often perceived to be greater than reality. For example, a 2009 study conducted for Keep America Beautiful found that fast food packaging (the greatest component of all foodservice packaging) contributed less than six percent to total litter.

But, less than six percent is still too much. FPI members sponsor, participate in or have established numerous litter reduction and education programs including:

    • Joining and participating in national and state Keep America Beautiful programs;
    • Designing and implementing anti-litter education programs; and
    • Sponsoring independent community programs to prevent and reduce littering.

Littering is unsightly, unpleasant and potentially harmful to public health and animal and marine life. FPI believes everyone must play a role in reducing it.

Updated October 2012

Sanitation Study: Survey of Reusable and Single-Use Foodservice Items – Summary

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Executive Summary:

A Study of Reusable and Single-Use Foodservice Items

Conducted for the Foodservice Packaging Institute, Inc. by Silliker, Inc. Food Science Center
September 2012

INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY
From December 2011 to April 2012 the Foodservice Packaging Institute, Inc., with the assistance of Sacramento County, California Health Department, conducted a survey of the sanitary quality of single-use foodservice packaging products and their reusable counterparts. Four health inspectors visited 30 different foodservice establishments including coffee bars, restaurants and colleges/universities. In each establishment, five single-use and five reusable foodservice items were sampled using a swab test protocol developed by Silliker, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois, for a study sample size of 300 items. Samples included forks, knives, spoons, cups, containers, plates and bowls.

One sterile transport swab containing a medium to prevent die off of microorganisms was used to sample each foodservice item. The swab was rubbed slowly and thoroughly over the entire food contact surface area and returned to its transport vial for shipment. Vials were packed in ice and shipped to Silliker’s Food Science Center for testing.

Once returned, each swab was tested utilizing standard methodology for aerobic plate count, staphylococcus plate count, enterococcus plate count and coliform most probable number technique. All bacterial counts were converted into logarithms for data analysis. If p>0.05, no statistically significant difference was detected.

RESULTS
All Enterococcus and Coagulase Positive Staphylococcus (CPS) plate counts were below the detection limit of the analyses. Significant differences (p=0.0043) were observed statistically for single-use versus their reusable counterparts for the aerobic plate count (APC). Significant differences (p=0.045) were observed statistically for single-use versus their reusable counterparts for coliform count.

CONCLUSION
Overall, reusable foodservice items had higher microbial levels than single-use foodservice items. This difference could be attributed to handling of reusable items more frequently by food service employees versus single-use items, or insufficient cleaning and sanitizing of reusable foodservice items.

The full report is available for members of the Foodservice Packaging Institute

Guidance Document for Qualifying Ovenable Packaging

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Leak Test: Hot Cups Poly-Coated

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Capacity of Cups and Containers Standard

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