Custom Food Trays
A tray is the most versatile thing in a food operator's cupboard. Same format serves a hot dog at a stadium, a portion of curry at a market, a sandwich in a cafe chiller and a ready meal in a supermarket. Very little else covers that much ground. We produce a lot of food trays at ZEE Packaging and the variety of uses is exactly why the spec matters.
Food trays adapt to more situations than most packaging.
- Open service for immediate eating at a counter or stall
- Lidded for chilled retail and takeaway
- Compartment versions for meals with sides
- Sealable for ready meals and pre packed retail
- Stackable for transport and display
- Serve directly from the tray, so no plating is needed
Most operators end up with two or three tray sizes covering their whole menu.
Hot, Cold Or Sealed
The intended use decides the treatment entirely.
- Hot food needs venting or a vented lid
- Chilled retail needs a coated inner face against condensation
- Sealable trays need a compatible film and a flat rim
- Ovenable versions require a specific board and coating
- Frozen use needs a freezer grade coating, since frost delaminates board
- Grease resistant treatment for anything fried
Tell us how the tray gets used and stored, because that changes the spec more than the dimensions do.
- Open tray the simplest of our food trays, for immediate service
- Tray with a separate lid chilled and takeaway formats
- Compartment tray meals with sides kept separate
- Sealable rim tray for film sealed retail products
- Deep tray saucy dishes and curries
- Corrugated platter catering and sharing sizes
Sizes We Print Regular
Every tray is built to your portion, though these run often:
- 5" x 4" x 1.5" for a side portion
- 7" x 5" x 2" for a standard main
- 9" x 6" x 2" for a large portion
- 8" x 6" x 2" with three compartments
- 10" x 7" x 2.5" for a deep saucy dish
- 15" x 10" x 2" for a catering platter
Board And Food Safety
- Food grade certified stock, always, without exception
- Kraft board for street food and natural positioning
- White SBS where you want vivid retail print
- 20pt to 24pt, since a loaded tray carries real weight
- Corrugated E flute for platters and larger formats
- Grease, moisture or freezer grade coating depending on use
The base is where cheap food trays fail. A loaded tray puts everything on that panel, so we would rather specify up than deal with a collapse.
Kinder Material Choices
- Grease resistant coating instead of a poly lining
- Recycled board where food grade permits it
- FSC certified stock, certificate available on request
- Soy based ink through the whole run
- Board replacing polystyrene and plastic trays entirely
- Right sized so portions match the tray
How An Order Runs With Us
- 100 unit minimum, so a single site can order properly
- Free 3D mockup and flat proof before anything prints
- Free dieline drawn by our own designer
- Physical sample on request to test with a real portion
- Urgent turnaround at 5 to 8 business days
- Free shipping worldwide with nothing hidden
Frequently Asked Questions
Can they be film sealed?
Yes, with a flat sealable rim and the right coating. Tell us your sealing machine and we match the spec to it.
Are they ovenable?
Some grades are, with a specific board and coating. Confirm your temperature and time and we will advise honestly on what works.
Will they hold saucy food?
A deep tray with a coated inner face handles it. For anything genuinely liquid we would suggest a deeper format.
How much are food trays?
Rough estimate is $0.08 to $0.25 per unit for a small open tray, $0.20 to $0.60 for a standard printed format and $0.55 to $1.40 for a catering platter at moderate quantity. Coating and size move it. Shipping is included in our price. This is estimate only, so ask our team for a exact quote.
Can they replace polystyrene?
Yes, and most operators are switching. A coated board tray performs comparably and recycles at end of life.
Are compartment versions available?
We make two, three and four compartment trays. It stops a side bleeding into a main, which customers do notice.
Is the board food safe?
Always. We only run food grade certified stock for anything holding food.
