# You Know, those Walmart Plastic Meat Containers?



## TexasTamale (Jun 5, 2005)

They are Summertime must have's! 

Talk about "*disposable*"  ....

I'm into Camping...
And these "meat trays" from Walmart are an excellent way to recycle and serve a everyday purpose....

I serve my Potato Salad, BBQ, Anything!, pot-luck dinners, etc...
I even put one in a Junk Drawer as an "organizer"......

What is your Best from your "Own Experience" Heloise?


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## lyndalou (Jun 6, 2005)

Not sure I understand what "meat trays " you're talking about.


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## TexasTamale (Jun 6, 2005)

The Plastic containers that the Meat Dept puts all there Meat in......
In some stores they use the Strafoam Trays....(chicken is always in these)

Walmart uses the "plastic trays".....


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## lyndalou (Jun 7, 2005)

How do you get them clean enough after they have had raw meat in them? I would worry about contamination.


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## Michael in FtW (Jun 8, 2005)

These days when you go to WalMart and get meat it comes on one of two "boats" - styrofoam or hard (but thin) plastic.

Poultry, or anything processed "in house" such as steamed crab legs, boiled shrimp, raw hamburger, etc. will be on styrofoam - anything else _pre-packaged_ from a supplier will come on the plastic trays. Flip them over and they will probably carry the Cryovac label. They are like the thin black plastic tray a TV dinner comes in.

The plastic trays are actually "top shelf" diswasher safe.

My source: my son who is Mgr of the seafood section of a WalMart .... and asst mgr of the "Butcher Block" meat counter.


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## lyndalou (Jun 8, 2005)

Thank you, Michael, for clearing that up.


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## TexasTamale (Jun 8, 2005)

I use them all the time! they are great! 

Just make sure (as with anything) you wash them properly!

Dunno why it was so confusing....but glad Mike explained! TY


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## thumpershere2 (Jun 8, 2005)

Was confusing to me at first as I have never seen them. Only the styrafoam ones.


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## mudbug (Jun 8, 2005)

Michael, are these the same type of containers you get when you buy dinner from Boston Market or a taco salad from Taco Bell?


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## Michael in FtW (Jun 11, 2005)

mudbug - essentially the same I guess ... but I don't know the composition of the plastic Bostom Market or Taco Bell are using ... they may or may not hold up to dishwasher washing. Like I said - I had to call my son to get the story on the WalMart plastic trays.


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## marmalady (Jun 11, 2005)

Another handy hint if you have a fresh fish market near you - sometimes the fish is packed in VERY nifty shallow white plastic containers, with lids - like rubbermaid. They're about 18 inches wide, maybe 24 (?!) inches long, and about 3 inches deep. They are food safe, can be washed out; are great for storing Christmas cookies, marinating lots of meat/fish for BBQ, or even carrying a load of tater salad for a party!

Get friendly with your fish guys - they get so many of these in, they usually just dump 'em. For those of your who have Whole Foods nearby, especially ask them!


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## Constance (Jun 11, 2005)

If you put a little clorox in your dishwater when you wash them, you won't have to worry. 
With a few holes poked in the bottom, the shallow stryofoam ones (2" or so deep) make great trays to start seeds in. 
I often send "care packages" of food home with my kids and friends, and the disposable containers and trays are great for that. 
I guess I'll be carrying home the Walmart trays from now on. The new Super Walmart has been open about a year and a half, and has run the two family owned grocery stores in our small town out of business. Now I have no butcher or green grocer to order special things for me...no more market made ground chuck or sausage...nobody to help me empty my cart or carry groceries to my car...I hate it.


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## Claire (Jun 17, 2005)

How funny.  I never thought of reusing them.  I often freeze any meat I buy, and find that the trays WalMart packages their meat in to really add way too much space in my freezer.  So I turn them upside down, freeze for 24 hours, then take and and baggie/wrap the meat (sometimes those trays are way too big to store) and toss the trays.  But I can see re-using them and may try it some day!  I repackage meat a lot (there are two of us) and never thought of a use for those WalMart ones (the town I live in only recently got a WalMart and it isn't my favorite place to shop).  If you don't buy meat at WalMart, you haven't a clue what we're talking about.  They aren't the shallow styrofoam trays that most grocery store meat is placed ON, they are deep, harder plastic ... gee, something between a tray and a bowl.


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