Low-quality foil trays hazard

Producers of high quality ready meals for catering are being undermined by low-gauge foil trays from the Far East, some of which are being sold on by less scrupulous UK suppliers at inflated prices.

Frozen ready meals supplier H2O now sources its half-gastronome size aluminium foil trays from D2 Europack, and says it is impressed with both the quality and value of the packaging. But according to joint owner Brian Goodhand, the gauge and quality of packs from H2O's previous supplier fell dramatically when, unannounced, it changed specification. "It was becoming dangerous for us to move the 2kg trays of food," says Goodhand. He compared micrometer readings on the original and new samples of the tray, and found that the foil was noticeably thinner.

"I have heard that companies are bringing these trays in from China," says Goodhand. Nonetheless, trays from the previous supplier cost twice as much as those produced by D2 Europack in Italy.