5 Benefits of Choosing Glass Jars for Food Packaging

Glass jars offer substantial benefits for food packaging. If you’re producing food that requires stable and safe storage, glass could be your answer.

Glass packaging for food offers some benefits that other packaging types simply cannot compete with. In short, glass is:

• Recyclable and sustainable
• Heat resistant and safe for use in microwaves and dishwashers
• Inert and impermeable
• Elegant and luxe in appearance
• Stackable

1. Glass is Extremely Heat Resistant

Unlike plastic, which releases tiny microplastics (or tinier bits of plastics called nanoplastics) when heated in the microwave, glass is stable and solid. While we don’t know or understand if there is any harm caused by microwaving plastics, we know it’s easy to avoid; simply use glass to microwave food in. Once the lid is removed, microwaving glass is perfectly safe, making it ideal for sauces, gravies, and baby food so it can simply be opened and heated without decanting it.

Because glass is stable up to high temperatures, it can often be used directly in ovens and washed in dishwashers. While some glass (such as window or drinking glasses) will fracture between 150 and 200 degrees Celsius, other glass types are resistant to heat up to about 400 degrees Celsius. Your average heat strengthened, tempered glass is stable and resistant to heat up to more than 200 degrees Celsius. That means it not only withstands the heat in dishwasher, but also in the oven.

While the degree of heat-proof ability does vary between the treatment of the glass, it’ll never melt or degrade in the dishwasher.

Due to its thermal resistance, it means you can also sterilise the jar easily in the oven, stovetop, or with boiling water. This can make it easier to meet food safety standards in NZ too.

2. Glass is Sturdy and Robust

Unlike dented cans or brittle or soft plastic, glass is robust and sturdy. No worries about rust or damage from moisture in the air. You can stack glass and it won’t crumble or sag. It doesn’t become brittle from heat, cold, or sun exposure.

It’s also important to note that jar shaped such as rounded ones are less likely to break than square ones, making round jars ideal for things like honey, cosmetics, and sauces. However, square shapes are easier to stack and take up less space in kitchen cupboards or warehouse storage.

3. Glass is Acid and Alkaline Resistant

Glass is made up from silicon dioxide, which is technically just sand (oversimplifying here, it’s quartz which is the main component of sand but there’s also soda ash and limestone). Silica is highly resistant to acids and alkaline (bases). It won’t rust, degrade, breakdown, or leach into the product inside.

This means that glass packaging preserves the quality of the food, making it safe for storage even over long periods. There’s no worries about microplastics or food degrading or spoiling. Overall, it’s nonporous, impermeable, and safe in most applications.

4. Glass Looks Fancy as Well as Being Functional

Glass is classy. It elevates the look of food products, with its appearance, weight, and style. This can simply not be replicated by plastic. Even the clearest ‘crystal’ plastic scratches and discolours over time; glass will remain sparkling and in beautiful condition for many years.

Because it’s crystal clear, it means that you can see at a glance not only the contents of the packaging, but also how much is left. Your customers can always see at a glance how much peanut butter or honey they have left.

5. Glass is Sustainable

Glass is 100% recyclable (not including window glass, drinking glasses, or Pyrex) and is recycled in NZ itself. Glass jars are not just recyclable, but they are often repurposed inside the home and reused in day-to-day life; whether it’s jam jars that hold buttons, or water bottles that become all manner of liquid storage.

Glass is also endlessly recyclable; it can be re-used again and again. Unlike plastic, it can also be made food safe be sterilising it, while recycled plastic is not always considered ‘virgin’ or food safe.

Comag Has a Wide Variety of Glass Packaging

With a range of glass jars, round,  hexagonal and square and glass bottles, we can help you find the right packaging for your food product. We can supply the perfect solution for honey, preserves, spreads, spices and masala mixes, baby food, mustards, condiments, or drinks and liqueurs. Contact us to chat about the options and find out prices.