Prison & Jail Food Trays
Meal service in correctional facilities presents kitchen operators with unique challenges. In addition to being durable and well-made, prison food trays must be break-resistant and safe. Cheap trays can be broken easily, which can lead to dangerous, sharp edges or slivers of hard plastic, but our prison meal tray selection is made for this specific environment.
Common Questions About Jail Food Trays
Do any other establishments need prison meal trays?
Their name reveals the most common use for these trays – they are designed to meet the unique needs of correctional facilities. Applicable regulatory bodies require these trays to be break-resistant and their edges dull, in addition to other concerns. However, even with these concerns, operators can't ignore functionality. Jail food trays in our selection have a number of useful compartments that separate foods, which is convenient when serving food to meal lines, wherever they might be.
These trays are made for any institution that values durability over all other traits. Long-lasting trays will cost more at the outset, but they can save operators money over the course of use. Any operator that will be serving food directly onto trays – as opposed to on plates or bowls that are placed on trays afterwards – should consider these sturdy, multi-compartmented trays.
Are jail trays dishwasher safe?
Almost all correctional facility trays are dishwasher safe because of their sturdy construction, but operators should still check the product specification page to be sure before purchasing. Buying commercial dishwasher-safe trays ensures that operators don't need to add warewashing protocols to their kitchen, saving time, labor, and money. Commercial dishwashers use high heat to sanitize their contents, so unspecialized trays might not be able to withstand those temperatures, leading to warping, degrading, or melting. Trays that are damaged in the dishwasher must be replaced, putting operators out double their initial investment.
Do I need a textured surface?
Textured surfaces keep food items stable during transit, reducing costly spills. Every spill means wasted food that must be replaced, time spent cooking the replacement food, and labor spent cleaning up the mess, so reducing spills is a great way to chip away at operational costs. Textured surfaces on prison food trays provide additional friction, keeping food from slipping around between the service station and the table.
What materials are jail food trays made from?
The vast majority of correctional facility trays are made from strong co-polymers, which is a type of plastic. Manufacturers can control the breakability and edges of plastic better than any other type of material. Plastics can also be very light, making them less dangerous to users in extreme situations.
Does the color matter?
Operators might not think the color of their trays matters in a correctional facility, but maintaining a professional, aesthetically pleasing environment can be beneficial. Consider finding a tray that matches your existing color scheme, or trays with calming colors.