Food Grade PP Containers | FDA 21 CFR 177.1520

Food grade PP containers meet FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 requirements for direct food contact — safe for produce, meat, dairy, and processed food applications throughout the US supply chain.

FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 Compliance

Polypropylene under FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 is approved for direct food contact applications including:

Produce bins and crates — direct berry, citrus, leafy green contact
Meat containers — poultry, pork, beef processing
Dairy — cheese aging containers, milk transport
Dry goods — grain, flour, sugar, spice packaging
Frozen food — rated to -10°F without embrittlement

PP polypropylene container produce — Elipacko

PP polypropylene box container — Elipacko

Specifications

Property	Value
Material	Food-grade homopolymer PP
FDA compliance	21 CFR 177.1520
USDA status	Accepted for food facilities
Surface	Smooth, non-porous — no bacterial harborage
Cleaning	Dishwasher safe, autoclave rated options
Odor	Odor-neutral — no flavor transfer

Why PP Over Other Plastics for Food

PP is the preferred food-contact plastic for a reason:

Higher heat resistance than LDPE or HDPE — autoclave-rated grades available
Non-porous surface — no bacterial biofilm formation
FDA and USDA accepted — no special certification process required
BPA-free by nature — PP contains no bisphenol compounds

Need Food Grade PP Containers? Quote at Elipacko

Elipacko manufactures custom PP packaging direct from factory — no middlemen, competitive pricing, fast lead times.

Request a Quote at Elipacko.com

The Complete Guide to Polypropylene Containers

Polypropylene corrugated polypropylene containers represent the most significant upgrade available to procurement teams still running single-use cardboard. The material is waterproof, structurally consistent, forklift-compatible, and designed for 50-100 reuse cycles. For industries in food processing, industrial, pharmaceutical, the switch from cardboard to PP corrugated typically pays for itself within one production season.

This guide covers everything buyers need to know about sourcing, specifying, and getting maximum value from polypropylene containers: material specs, industry applications, import duty considerations, and how to evaluate suppliers in a market full of resellers moving low-quality imports.

Why PP Corrugated Outperforms Cardboard

The comparison between PP corrugated and cardboard isn't close in any environment where moisture, temperature variation, repeated use, or forklift handling is involved. Here's the breakdown:

Property	PP Corrugated	Cardboard
Water resistance	100% waterproof	Fails rapidly
Reuse cycles	50-100	1
Forklift compatible	Yes (designed for it)	Limited, degrades fast
Cleanable	Fully washable	No
Food-grade options	FDA 21 CFR compliant	Limited
ISPM-15 required	No	No (but wood components do)

Specification Guide for Polypropylene Containers

Choosing the right polypropylene containers requires matching wall thickness, flute profile, and resin grade to your specific application. Key specifications:

Wall thickness: 4mm for light duty, 6mm for standard, 8mm for heavy duty, 10mm for bulk container applications
Flute type: B-flute for top-load stacking strength, C-flute for balanced performance, X-flute (double wall) for maximum rigidity
Resin grade: Standard PP for ambient environments, high-density PP for cold chain and freezer applications down to -40°F
Food-grade: FDA 21 CFR-compliant virgin PP for direct food contact — required for produce, poultry, seafood, and processed food applications
Custom dimensions: Elipacko cuts to custom sizes with lead times varying by volume — contact directly for specifications