Frozen seafood tray

Types of frozen seafood trays

Frozen seafood trays offer convenience and variety, especially in today's fast-paced world. These trays are specially designed to preserve the freshness and taste of seafood, making them easy to store and use whenever needed. Let's dive deeper into the various types available:

Material-Based Trays

• Plastic trays: Plastic trays are the most common packaging for frozen seafood due to their flexibility and resilience. They are lightweight, resistant to moisture, and hard to break. Food-grade plastic trays are often covered with a thin sheet of plastic film to provide an additional barrier against frost and dehydration. These trays are usually molded into a basic shape but can be manufactured with more sophisticated, snap-close edges to enhance the contents' stability during shipping and storage.
• Foam trays: Foam trays, constructed of polystyrene foam, are another common option for packaging raw or uncooked seafood, such as fish fillets and shrimp. These trays are extremely light, cheap, and have a porous surface that can absorb excess moisture. Foam trays are, however, not as robust as plastic ones and can be poorly punctured or bent, weakening the seafood packaging.
• Cardboard trays: Cardboard trays are less frequent in frozen seafood packing but are sometimes employed for specific goods, such as smoked or pre-cooked seafood. Cardboard material is eco-friendly and can be recycled and reused.
• Vacuum-sealed pouches: While not a tray, vacuum-sealed seafood packs have no air, increasing shelf life tremendously. By sealing individual products in these bags, users can enjoy superior quality frozen fish fillets that retain moisture and flavor. These packs are also portable, making them great for single servings.

Seafood Type

• Mixed seafood trays: Mixed seafood trays feature an assortment of seafood products like shrimp, mussels, squid, fish chunks, and crab. This combination allows clients to experience a medley of flavors and textures, making it great for stir-fry, paella, or casseroles.
• Luxury seafood trays: Luxury seafood trays include the most popular types of seafood: oysters, lobster tails, king crab, prawns, and scallops. These trays are often sold unleaded and suitable for the festive season, special occasions, or fine dining. They are frequently sourced fresh rather than frozen to enhance the quality and taste.
• Specialty trays: Specialty seafood trays are tailored to specific culinary traditions or consumer requirements. Kosher trays of frozen seafood, for example, will adhere strictly to kosher dietary laws, including only seafood with fins and scales and removing shellfish. Spanish surtidos trays may include assorted regions of the Iberian Peninsula shellfish, such as shrimp, prawns, and crayfish. Portuguese seafood trays could also contain octopus and cuttlefish. These trays target certain religious or cultural clients and may feature hard-to-find, high-quality frozen fish fillets, varieties from specific regions.

Size and Portion Trays

Frozen seafood trays also vary by size and portion, meeting different consumer needs. Single-serve trays hold small seafood portions, such as a few prawns or fish fillets, that are quick and easy to prepare for one person. These are ideal for small households or individual consumers. On the other hand, family-sized trays contain larger portions that are economical for families or group meals.

Bulk trays are designed for industrial, commercial, or institutional usage, containing the largest quantities of seafood that require repackaging or redistribution by retailers.

Designs of frozen seafood trays

Conventional Designs

The most common hierarchical packaging for frozen seafood consists of shallow, rectangular trays with overwrapped plastic film sealed. This conventional design is cost-effective, easy to manufacture, and ideal for containing smaller seafood products such as fillets, shrimp, soft-shell crabs, and clam strips. These trays frequently include wells or dividers to provide small portions of items containing liquid or semi-solid materials like fish soup or crab meat.

Clam shell Containers

Clamshell containers have two tray designs, with one being pinned on the top part of the base. Flip-top clamshell containers are good for freezing items that need more protection from crushing or breakage during cold storage and transport. These double trays are ideal for storing delicate seafood, such as oysters, scallops, or lobster tails, requiring maximum handling safety. Clamshell designs also afford more product visibility since clear plastic varieties allow consumers to check the inside without opening the package.

Die-Cut and Pop-Up Box Trays

Several die-cut and pop-up box trays are employed for certain frozen seafood products. Collapsible box trays are manufactured to enfold, pack, and store larger or bulk seafood, such as whole fish, fish steaks, or necks. Unlike conventional shallow trays, these box trays are sturdy and tough, giving good freezing protection. These tray styles are generally printed with significant graphics on fish brand names, additional information about the seafood, and usage instructions. They are common with wholesalers, retailers, and food service industries.

Partitioned Trays

Partitioned trays have portions or partitions molded into the design, allowing several different seafood products to be frozen together without mixing. These are practical for seafood varieties that must be kept together but distinct, such as shrimp and fish fillets or clams and mussels. Partitioned trays are more provisioning-oriented, focusing more on customers looking for variety in a single package. They are also common in bulk and family-size servings for clients seeking quantity and diversity for meals.

Custom Molded Trays

Custom form trays are molded or fabricated from varieties of customized made molds. This includes foamed PET trays, which are brittle but easily pierced, and tougher pressure-formed CPET trays suitable for retort sterilization. They provide the highest level of product packaging for frozen seafood but are also the most expensive. They are typically used for high-end frozen seafood markets where quality, stability, and elegance are vital selling features. They allow decorating with printed company logos or imaginative graphics, making them useful for brand awareness.

How to choose frozen seafood trays

When investing in frozen seafood trays, B2B buyers need to consider several critical factors to choose the best products for their customers:

• Material: Frozen seafood trays are commonly manufactured from plastic, foam, or vacuum-sealed materials, including cardboard, each of which has pros and cons. Plastic trays are strong and moisture-resistant, while foam is lightweight and has insulating properties. Vacuum-sealed packs have the longest shelf life as they remove air, preventing freezer burn.
• Size and capacity: These vary widely, ranging from single portions to family or bulk-sized trays. Buyers should stock various sizes to accommodate different customer needs, such as retail grocers and food service providers.
• Stacking and storage characteristics: Another important factor to consider is stacking and storage characteristics, as frozen food must often be stored and shipped in bulk containers. A good tray design should have a slim profile that allows easy stacking without compromising product safety. These characteristics will benefit users with limited cold storage space by maximizing storage efficiency.
• Seal strength: Buyers must pay attention to the trays' seal strength, for weaker seals lead to leaks, freezer burn, and spoilage during transportation and storage. Strong, tamper-proof seals maintain food quality by keeping contaminants out and moisture and air in.
• Environmental concerns: Frozen seafood tray materials should also be environmentally friendly, as many consumers consider eco-friendly products. Buyers can look for trays made from recycled materials, which can be easily recycled and have eco-friendly certifications.

Scenarios for frozen seafood trays

Retail Seafood Departments

Retail seafood departments bulk-buy partitioned and clam shell ice trays of frozen seafood, such as shrimp, scallops, crabs, fish fillets, and shellfish, to package and display products attractively. They ensure each tray maintains cold chain storage until purchased by customers. The trays are labeled with prices, the type of seafood, and whether it is wild-caught or farmed.

Wholesale Distributors

Wholesalers buy bulk frozen seafood in die-cut box trays or vacuum-sealed pouches, then repackage them into larger bulk containers for distribution to restaurants, hotels, and food service companies. They select versatile sealed trays easy to handle and transport without compromising product quality or security.

Food service industry

Hotels, restaurants, and institutional kitchens purchase partitioned trays containing frozen seafood varieties, ensuring each portion maintains presentation and quality. They opt for sturdy trays easy to stack and store in large freezers.

Processing Plants

Processing plants buy clam shell trays, die-cut trays, or vacuum-sealed pouches, which they further process into value-added items. Their priority is packaging that maintains seafood quality during processing and storage.

E-commerce Fulfillment Centers

E-commerce fulfillment centers purchase bulk iced fish and other frozen seafood tray inserts, from clam shells to vacuum-sealed pouches, to fulfill online orders. Their focus is on trays that have the best insulating properties and can withstand handling and shipping while keeping the product frozen and in good condition.

Q&A

Q1: What Are the Most Important Factors to Consider When Buying Frozen Seafood Trays in Bulk?

A1: The trays' material, size, seal, and profile essential factors to consider. It is equally important to use eco-friendly trays.

Q2: Which Seafood Is Most Suitable for Ice Cream or Foam Frozen Seafood Trays?

A2: Any perishable item, like fish fillets, shrimp, or shellfish, is packed in foam or vacuum-sealed pouches and stored under hygienic conditions to be frozen.

Q3: Which Kind of Frozen Seafood Is the Fastest to Prepare Using Partitioned Tray Packaging?

A3: Frozen fish portions that are pre-allocated and packaged in partitioned trays, particularly vacuum-sealed, are the fastest to cook.

Q4: How Long Can Frozen Seafood Maintain Its Best Quality When Stored in Frozen Trays?

A4: Seafood can last six months to two years in frozen trays, depending on the type of seafood and temperature stability.

Q5: What Is a Common Partitioned Tray of Frozen Seafood

A5: A partitioned tray of frozen seafood commonly sea food that does not require mixing and wants to be processed minimally, such as cooked shrimp or oysters.