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How to choose takeaway food packaging: A material selection guide

How to choose takeaway food packaging: A material selection guide

Takeaway packaging does more than simply carry food from one place to another. It plays an important role in protecting food quality, preventing leaks and spills, retaining temperature, and helping meals arrive as intended. The right packaging can also improve the customer experience while supporting safe transport, storage and branding opportunities.

 

Different menu items place different demands on packaging. Hot curries and ramen require containers that can handle heat and liquids, while crispy fried foods benefit from packaging that helps manage moisture. Fresh salads, sushi and poke bowls often rely on clear packaging to showcase presentation while keeping ingredients fresh. Whether food is enjoyed immediately, carried back to the office or delivered across town, choosing the right packaging helps preserve texture, appearance and overall quality.

Beyond protecting food quality, selecting the right packaging also presents an opportunity to reduce reliance on conventional fossil fuel-based plastics. Depending on the application, renewable materials and certified compostable packaging can provide practical alternatives that support more circular end-of-life pathways without compromising performance.

This guide explains which packaging materials are best suited to different menu items and why, helping you choose takeaway packaging that supports both your food and your customers' experience.

Hot meals

From laksa and curries to noodles and lasagne, hot meals present some of the greatest challenges for takeaway packaging. Containers need to withstand heat, resist moisture and oils, and maintain their structure throughout transport to help prevent leaks and preserve presentation.

Recommended packaging

Why these materials work

PLA-lined kraft paper containers and noodle boxes

Paper and paperboard provide the strength and rigidity needed for takeaway packaging, while a PLA lining helps create a barrier against moisture and oils. This combination makes it well suited to hot meals with sauces, helping containers maintain their structure during transport. 

Moulded bamboo and sugarcane fibre food boxes

Moulded bamboo and sugarcane packaging offers excellent strength and rigidity without requiring an additional lining. The natural fibres provide good resistance to moisture and oils, making these materials well suited to curries, noodle dishes, rice meals and other hot takeaway foods. 

Crispy fried food

From fish and chips and fried chicken to spring rolls and dumplings, crispy foods require packaging that protects texture while containing oils and heat. Unlike meals with sauces, the challenge isn't preventing leaks—it's managing steam build-up, which can soften coatings and reduce crispness during transport.

Recommended packaging

Why these materials work

Kraft paper board

Kraft paperboard provides the strength needed to support heavier fried foods while resisting deformation during transport. Combined with an appropriate food-contact greaseproof paper where required, kraft packaging helps contain oils while protecting the meal.

Paper board

This kraft chip cup was designed specifically for hot fried foods such as chips, wedges and churros. Ventilation holes help reduce moisture build-up, while the sturdy paperboard construction provides a practical serving solution without the need for a plastic or PLA lining.

Greaseproof paper

Greaseproof paper is designed to resist oils and fats, making it well suited for wrapping burgers, sandwiches and baked goods, or lining takeaway trays and boxes. It helps reduce oil transfer while presenting food in a clean, professional way.

Greaseproof paper bags

For pastries, baked goods and some fried foods, greaseproof paper bags help contain oils while remaining lightweight and practical for takeaway service.

Hot drinks and soups

Whether it's a flat white on the morning commute or a bowl of ramen delivered across town, hot drinks and soups require packaging that can withstand high temperatures while remaining comfortable and practical to use. Packaging should help retain heat, provide a secure seal and minimise the risk of leaks or spills during transport.

Recommended packaging

Why these materials work

Double-wall paper cups

Double-wall paper cups feature two layers of paperboard separated by an insulating air gap. This design helps reduce heat transfer to the outside of the cup, making hot beverages more comfortable to hold while reducing the need for a separate sleeve.

Single-wall paper cups with sleeves

Single-wall cups remain a practical option for many cafés and takeaway businesses. When paired with a paper cup sleeve, they provide additional insulation while reducing the amount of heat transferred to the customer's hands.

CPLA lids

High pressure and heat are applied to PLA that improves durability and performance for hot beverages.

Sugarcane lids

Sugarcane cup lids provide a fibre-based alternative to conventional plastic lids while creating a secure seal for takeaway beverages. 

PLA-lined kraft paper bowls and lids

When filled with soups, broths and noodle dishes, takeaway bowls require a combination of rigidity and moisture resistance to hold hot liquids safely. Kraft paper bowls with a PLA lining help resist moisture and oils while maintaining their structure - and for transport, pair with a PLA lined kraft lid.

Cup carrier trays

For customers carrying multiple beverages, paper cup carrier trays provide additional stability and reduce the risk of spills while travelling.

Consider the complete serving solution rather than the cup or bowl alone. Matching lids, sleeves and cup carriers all contribute to a better customer experience and can help reduce spills during transport.

Cold, fresh meals

From salads and deli meals to poke bowls, cut fruit, ice cream and gelato, cold foods rely on packaging that protects freshness while maintaining presentation. Unlike hot foods, customers often see the meal before purchasing in retail or deli environments, making visibility and presentation important considerations. 

The shape of the container is equally important, helping ensure the meal is easy to eat while preserving the way ingredients are presented. 

Paper bowls are widely used by ice cream and gelato businesses, both for individual scoops and larger take-home tubs, where durability and custom branding help create a consistent customer experience. Fresh salads and deli items are more likely to be served in paper or PLA containers. Menu items like poke bowls or cold meals, depending on serve proportions, are commonly served in wide sugarcane bowls available in 700 and 960ml or moulded sugarcane or bamboo food boxes.

Recommended packaging

Clear PLA containers

PLA (polylactic acid) provides excellent clarity, allowing fresh ingredients and vibrant colours to remain visible while protecting food during transport and display. Made from renewable plant-based resources, PLA offers an alternative to conventional fossil fuel-based plastics for cold food applications.

Paper bowls

Paper bowls are a versatile choice for many cold foods, including ice cream and gelato with larger 560ml containers utilised for take home and retail offerings. Larger paper bowls from 420 ml to 760 ml are popular for takeaway salads and lighter meals where product visibility is less important. 

When paired with a clear PLA lid, the contents remain visible without opening the container. This makes it easier for customers to identify their order and is particularly useful for caterers and food service providers who label lids with customer names or menu items while still allowing the food to be seen.

Sugarcane bowls

Sugarcane bowls provide a durable alternative for larger cold meals such as poke bowls, cold meals and larger salads. Their broad, shallow profile creates more surface area, allowing ingredients to be arranged rather than compressed. This helps preserve presentation while making the meal easier to mix and eat.

The wider design also provides space for a small sugarcane or PLA sauce container to sit alongside the meal where dressings or sauces are intended to be added just before serving, helping maintain texture and keeping fresh ingredients crisp during transport.

Consider meals with separate components

Some meals are designed for ingredients to be combined just before eating. Salads with dressing, poke bowls with sauces, and grain bowls with toppings often benefit from keeping wet and dry ingredients separate during transport. Small sauce containers or food boxes with separate compartments can help preserve texture, maintain presentation and give customers greater control over how their meal is prepared.

Cold drinks

From iced coffee and smoothies to fresh juices and bubble tea, cold beverages require packaging that protects freshness while showcasing the drink inside. Clarity is often an important consideration, allowing colourful ingredients, layered beverages and garnishes to become part of the customer experience. The right cup should also provide durability, a secure-fitting lid and compatibility with straws where required.

Recommended packaging

Clear PLA 

PLA provides excellent clarity, making them ideal for showcasing iced coffee, smoothies, juices, bubble tea and other cold beverages. Produced from renewable plant-based resources, PLA offers an alternative to conventional fossil fuel-based plastic cups for cold drink applications. A range of lid options is available to suit different beverages, including flat lids for iced coffee and juices, dome lids for smoothies or whipped toppings and sip lids for drinks that can be enjoyed without a straw.

Paper straws

Paper straws are suitable for a wide range of cold beverages, including soft drinks, smoothies and juices. Different diameters are available to suit thicker drinks such as smoothies and bubble tea.

Sugarcane dome lids

Sugarcane dome lids provide an alternative to plastic dome lids while creating additional space for whipped cream, fruit and smoothie toppings. They are well suited to beverages where presentation is an important part of the customer experience.

Cup carrier trays

Cup carrier trays help customers transport multiple beverages safely while reducing the risk of spills. They are particularly useful for takeaway coffee orders and family beverage purchases.

Evaluating suppliers? Ask for compostability certifications

Whether you're serving ramen, gelato or iced matcha, selecting packaging that matches the menu item helps protect food quality, improve the customer experience and reduce unnecessary waste from damaged or unsuitable packaging.

When comparing takeaway packaging and you're looking for commercially or home compostable packaging, ask your current or potential supplier to provide the relevant certification for the specific product. Certifications verify that packaging has been independently tested against recognised compostability standards rather than relying on unsubstantiated environmental claims.

Certification can also provide greater confidence in product composition. Research commissioned by New Zealand's Ministry for the Environment identified PFAS in one moulded fibre food tray marketed as compostable that did not meet recognised compostability certification limits. 

While this does not mean all moulded fibre packaging contains PFAS, it highlights the importance of requesting independent certification and supporting documentation rather than relying on appearance or marketing claims alone.

Test our packaging with your menu

Every menu is different, and the best way to evaluate takeaway packaging is to test it with your own food. Factors such as temperature, moisture, oils and transport time can all influence performance.

Before placing a wholesale order, request samples and trial them with your menu items to ensure they meet your expectations for food quality, presentation and customer experience. 

Submit a sample request.

By Tracey Creed

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