Glass or plastic for ice cream?

Ice cream is one treat that most of us love but in order for it to retain its deliciousness it needs to be stored in the correct way and at the right temperature.

Any ice cream producer big or small who has spent time and energy creating the perfect flavour and consistency of their confection could see all their good work go to waste just by doing something as simple as using the wrong container.

In restaurants, ice cream parlours and supermarkets the optimum temperature at which ice cream should be stored is  0°F (-18°C) or colder and the temperature in the supermarket’s freezer case should not be above 10°F (-12°C). What this means is you need a container that can cope with these temperatures.

But which is best when it comes to ice cream containers for freezer? Is it glass or plastic? Here we list the pros and cons of both.

Benefits of storing ice cream in glass

• Glass is inert and needs no chemical layer between it and the foodstuffs being stored, so it won’t affect the taste of your ice cream.
• It is made of only a few things – sand, ash and limestone and consequently it is non-toxic.
• Glass doesn’t react with whatever is contained within because no chemicals can leach into it.
• You can easily recycle glass.
• Glass containers tend to be rounder and therefore easy to scoop from.

Benefits of storing ice cream in plastic

• Plastic is more airtight – important when protecting from freezer burn and also from absorbing flavours from other things in the freezer.
• The right kind of plastic is able to cope better with low temperatures.
• Plastic is better for freezing as glass is a poor conductor of heat which means when stored Ice cream may develop freezer burn which affects look, taste and texture.
• Ice cream is best stored in a wide, flat plastic container because it will cover more surface area and as a result will freeze faster.
• You can buy plastic containers specifically for the purpose of freezing ice cream.
• Labelling, which is vital when it comes to listing ingredients and allergens as well as expiry dates and other relevant information works better on plastic containers.

Which is better?

Clearly, when it comes to storing ice cream, plastic is the outright winner. It is lightweight, costs less than glass and is more versatile. It is more airtight and can withstand the low temperatures to maintain the quality of the product. For restaurants where economy of space is all-important, plastic packaging will be easily stackable.

At Venturepak we are here to help you decide which plastic best suits your manufacturing and storage requirements. You may wish to opt for different sizes and shapes of container depending on storage dimensions plus you can talk to us about how we can introduce printing and labelling to make your product look more unique. So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch now by tapping on the link below.