Let’s Talk About Plastic, Packaging & Food Safety

At Eat Clean Phx, we take food safety seriously — not just when we cook your meals, but through every step after they leave the kitchen.

One topic that comes up more and more is packaging, especially plastic containers. We understand why. People are paying closer attention to what touches their food, how their food is stored, and what happens between cooking and delivery.

So we want to be transparent about how we do things, why we do them this way, and the steps we take to protect the quality and safety of every meal.

First and most importantly:

We never put hot food directly into our containers.

After our meals are cooked, they are immediately cooled using professional, state-of-the-art cooling equipment designed to bring food temperature down quickly and safely. Our goal is to rapidly cool meals down to approximately 37°F before they are packaged, sealed, stored, and delivered.

That matters.

Cooked food needs to move through the temperature “danger zone” as quickly as possible because bacteria can grow rapidly when food sits too long at unsafe temperatures. USDA guidance identifies the danger zone as roughly 40°F to 140°F, where bacteria can multiply quickly. FDA cooling guidance also emphasizes rapid two-stage cooling for cooked foods: cooling from 135°F to 70°F within two hours, then down to 41°F or below within the next four hours.

In simple terms: fast cooling protects the food.

It helps preserve freshness, texture, flavor, and — most importantly — food safety. Instead of letting hot food sit around or trapping heat inside a closed container, we use equipment and processes built for controlled, efficient cooling.

Once your meals are cooled, they remain temperature controlled until they are delivered to you. That means they are stored cold, handled cold, transported cold, and delivered cold.

Now let’s talk about the containers.

We use food-grade virgin plastic, meaning the plastic has not been previously used or recycled before becoming a food container. That distinction matters because recycled plastics used for food contact require additional controls, and the FDA specifically notes that post-consumer recycled plastic can raise concerns around possible contaminants if not properly evaluated and cleared for food-contact use.

Food-contact packaging materials in the United States are regulated by the FDA. Food contact substances generally must be authorized for their intended use, and the FDA evaluates safety as part of that process.

We understand that many people are concerned about plastic. We are too. We constantly look at packaging alternatives and continue to evaluate better options as they become available.

But here is the honest reality: for ready-to-eat refrigerated meals, packaging has to do more than look nice. It has to protect the food, seal properly, prevent leaks, hold up during delivery, maintain freshness, stack safely, support accurate portions, and keep meals affordable for customers.

Right now, food-grade virgin plastic remains the best balance of safety, performance, reliability, and cost for the way Eat Clean Phx operates.

Could we use something more expensive just so it sounds better in marketing? Sure. But if it leaks, breaks down, traps moisture incorrectly, raises prices significantly, or creates more food safety risk, that is not a better solution.

Our standard is simple:

Protect the food first. Protect the customer always. Keep improving wherever we can.

We are not perfect, and we are not pretending packaging is a finished conversation. We will continue researching better options, testing alternatives, and looking for ways to improve. But we will never switch to something just because it sounds trendy if it compromises safety, quality, or affordability.

At Eat Clean Phx, every decision comes back to the same thing: doing food the right way.

Organic ingredients. No seed oils. Scratch-made meals. Proper cooling. Controlled temperatures. Reliable packaging. Safe delivery.

That is the Eat Clean Phx way.

And as always, we appreciate you trusting us to feed you and your family.

—
Ryan & Brittany Powell
Eat Clean Phx
Family Owned & Operated Since 2018