"containers" news and stories

Thanksgiving dinner is over, the kitchen is littered with dishes and you've got to figure out how to store a half carved turkey, a quart of gravy, a leftover loaf pan of stuffing and three half eaten pies. Not to mention Cousin Melissa's pumpkin soup that she served inside a hollowed out pumpkin. Here are some tips on how to get everything into put away and tucked in the fridge.

• Think about your storage options before the big day. Check your supplies of foil, plastic wrap, zip top bags and reusable plastic containers before you start cooking to ensure you'll have enough to get you through.
• Choose the right-sized container for the job. Refrigerator space is at a premium after big holiday meals, so using appropriately sized bowls, jars and bags will keep the jigsaw puzzle easier to solve.
  
• Make sure that your storage devices are airtight and leak-proof so that your food will stay fresh, aromas won't mingle and you don't end up with candied yam juice coating the shelves with a sticky sheen.
  
• If you use old yogurt containers or other, non-transparent vessels for your leftovers, label the carton with a sharpie. It will make the hunt for the last of the green beans much easier and when it is empty, the writing wipes off with a little bit of rubbing alcohol.
  
• Make sure that your turkey is totally unstuffed before you stash it in the fridge, because it can take too long to thoroughly cool otherwise, encouraging the growth of dangerous bacteria.
  
• Remember that it's never a good idea to store food in aluminum cans, so transfer the leftover cranberry sauce to a different container.
  

Here's hoping you find some of these tips helpful and that you enjoy your Thanksgiving feast for at least three full days!

In January, the city of Oakland, California, just across the bay from San Francisco, instituted a tax on businesses that they believed created the most litter in the city. The city council felt that businesses needed to be more socially responsible for their customer's actions, while business owners opposed the measure, saying that packaging is necessary to sell goods - particularly food items - in a safe and sanitary manner.

Now, city businesses have to change the way they package their food, in addition to paying for it, because the city has just banned styrofoam food packaging.

Due to take effect in January, the measure says that all food packaging must be biodegradable when composted with food waste. Supporters of the law point out that 15 percent of the litter collected in storm drains is styrofoam/polystyrene packaging. They gained additional support from the fact that there are 100 other cities, including Portland and neighboring Berkeley, which have similar bans, and San Francisco is expected to join that list later this year.

The city will use fines ranging from $100-$500 to enforce the measure and businesses that still use styrofoam will have have to find another way to keep their food warm.

 

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