We know when it comes to food storage the priority is to keep the meal fresh, easy to package, and easy to store. The Lofaho Compact Tray Sealer does all those for you with its film sealing technology. Food sealed in a tray with airtight and leakproof plastic film will keep your food fresh longer than food stored in a container with only a lid. It also saves you the time of looking for matching lids and instead sealing up the tray in seconds. Lids can be bulky and take up space with multiple stacked containers. Not with plastic sealed trays, they don’t have big lids, opting for a very thin yet sturdy plastic film. Stack away your trays on one another without worry as the plastic film won’t tear under the weight.
Lofaho provides you with two types of films when you purchase the Lofaho Compact Tray Sealer, TOP film and EPL film. Each roll is 6in tall by x 32 ft long, meaning a single roll can seal about 43-45 trays. The trays take about 9 in of film with each use. There are differences between these films and scenarios for best use of each film. Before getting started sealing with Lofaho make yourself familiar with which film to use.
TOP film
TOP film is made of Polypropylene (PP), a very common plastic material used in food packaging. Food trays and sealing films are often made of PP due to it being non-toxic and FDA-approved. Beyond being safe to use it offers more features.
To start Lofaho uses PP for its heat resistance material. Polypropylene has a high melting point compared to many other plastics, making it suitable for applications that involve high temperatures. This means its microwave safe, a common concern when debating whether to heat up something in the microwave.
TOP film is durable, it is resistant to wear and tear, which allows it to be used in a variety of applications, from flexible packaging materials to rigid containers. Polypropylene is also flexible, allowing it to seal over food trays and not peel off when handled and bent.
Finally, PP is a high clarity material so the film is extremely clear and you can easily see what’s sealed inside with nice presentation. This is a great bonus for restaurants who want to show off how appetizing meals are, something regular plastic containers don’t have.
EPL film
EPL film is made of Polyethylene (PE) and just like polypropylene is non toxic and safe to use around food. Polyethylene is a flexible and durable material, often being used in items such as stretch films that goes around water bottles together as well as being strong enough to not break under weight or while being handled. It can also be made very thin as a cling film to wrap fruits and vegetables in. It’s used to wrap fruits and vegetables due to having excellent barrier to oxygen and water vapor, allowing food to stay fresh longer. The same applies to polyethylene film, making it a great material to extend the shelf life of what’s sealed in a tray.
For Lofaho we use PE because of how strong and durable it is. If it can support a case of water bottles it will easily provide protection over the top of a sealed tray.
You can see what food is sealed in the tray because EPL film is transparent as well, with a frosty finish compared to TOP film.
When to use TOP film and when EPL film?
Now that you’re familiar with what the film materials do its time to choose which film is best to use in certain food sealing scenarios. Overall TOP film is more difficult to remove which makes a better option for on the go, ensuring food will safely arrive despite the journey its being taken on. TOP film also has a stronger leakproof seal which makes it ideal for sealing away liquids. A suggestion of when to seal with TOP film:
- When sealing liquid foods that can leak such as soups and sauces
- Delivery thanks to its tamper proof packaging
- Camping and picnics
EPL film is easy to peel off, requiring practically no effort to do so. Due to its easy peel off it leaves behind no residue on the trays, so you can reuse them up to 10 times with EPL film. TOP films leaves behind a residue which won’t let you reseal the trays. We recommend using EPL film on foods you want to easily access, such as snacks or meal prepped ingredients, or a vegetable tray to bring along.
Next time you’re packing up a meal consider tray sealing it with Lofaho to preserve freshness, present the meal in style, and easily open it to enjoy. To summarize, we recommend you use TOP film for food that requires a stronger seal, in cases of packing liquid items or for on the go. Use EPL film for food that you’ll easily want to open such as snack trays or meal prepped ingredients. Both films will provide an airtight seal that keeps trays contents fresh for longer than using a regular plastic container. To start sealing follow this link to purchase your own Lofaho Compact Tray Sealer.
