The return of lockdowns in recent months have refocused attention on the importance of the takeout/home delivery market, as foodservice businesses in affected areas have had to pivot once again and rely exclusively on this channel for income.

But while it’s easy enough to take advantage of the multiple online options to get your food delivered to the customer – Menulog, Door Dash, Uber Eats and more – whether it arrives late, cold or safely is another matter. Even prior to Covid, reports of tampering with meal deliveries were not uncommon – and on the other side of the pandemic, customers are more focused than ever on food safety, hygiene and contactless delivery.

All this means that ensuring your delivery and takeout meals are in tamper-proof packaging has become an imperative. The last thing you want is for your customers to be worrying about whether your food is safe to eat or whether it’s been touched or worse, tampered with by third party delivery drivers.

The good news is that with the right tamper proof packaging you can reassure your customers that your meals are safe to consume and have reached their premises in pristine condition.

There is quite a range of tamper-proof options available on the market today, so it’s wise to do your research to find the best choices for your business. As a guide, you should be considering options like the following:

  • Tamper resistant/tamper evident containers and bottles: these typically have a secure seal which can’t be disturbed without leaving evidence of tampering. Some also come with built-in tamper protection such as hinges that will tear.
  • Tamper evident labels: these seal food packaging containers shut and can’t be removed without leaving traces to show that the container has been tampered with.
  • Heat-sealable bags: these are an easy solution as once you seal them they can’t be unsealed without it being very obvious that they have been tampered with. You can package the food, condiments, napkins and plastic cutlery inside, then seal them and rest assured that the package will arrive safely to your customer.
  • Tamper evident tape: once the tape is removed there’s a hard to remove residue left behind which often states “OPENED”, alerting the customer that the package has been tampered with.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that although customers are seeking reassurance that their food hasn’t been tampered with, they also want to be able to open the packaging easily – so be sure to choose packaging which fulfils both goals!

Investing in this kind of packaging shows your customers you take their safety seriously, which helps to build consumer loyalty. You can let customers know that you’re using tamper proof packaging via your social media platforms/website and even include a note with the packaging to ask them to check for evidence of any tampering – again, this serves to show them you have their interests in mind!