Here's What The Fork And Wine Glass Symbol Means On Plastic Food Containers

If you look closely at disposable food packaging, you may notice some things that spark curiosity. You might see brand logos or slogans, of course. If you're examining a food container from In-N-Out Burger, you'll see Bible verses printed on the wrappers and cups. But, beyond that, various food containers — from yogurt cups to beverage bottles — often bear the image of a fork and a wine glass. That image is simply telling you the packaging you're handling is food-grade — a regulatory entity, like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has extensively tested it and deemed it safe to come into contact with human food. This is important because not all packaging is created equal, and containers not rated as food safe can leach harmful chemicals into the things you eat and drink.

Items like Dollar Store finds to declutter your kitchen, for instance, while cute and decorative, may not be food-grade. So, while your dry goods may look super-stylish in that plastic container or your cooking oils may look terrific in those decorative bottles, if there's no label or symbol affirming the containers are safe for culinary use, you should always err on the side of caution and assume they're not. If the glass and fork symbol is present, though, you can rest easy; the packaging has been approved for culinary use, and an authority has deemed it will not leach harmful substances into your food when used normally and appropriately.

Keep in mind: Not all food packaging is meant to be used the same way. The fork and glass symbol means a container is food-safe, yes. But while a plastic container, for instance, might be rated for one-time storage of butter or margarine, it doesn't follow that it's considered safe for all culinary uses. There are unseen risks with reusing margarine tubs and other such packaging, and these types of items aren't meant to be repurposed once their original contents are depleted. The best rule of thumb is that disposable packages, plastic and porous packaging in particular, should be disposed of.

Other symbols further help identify appropriate uses for culinary containers. Plastic and Styrofoam packaging shouldn't be exposed to heat, such as in microwaves or dishwashers, unless expressly labeled as "microwave safe" or "dishwasher safe." Even then, there's debate over whether it's really safe to heat food in such a container or whether the notion of microwave-safe plastic is a myth. But if those safety labels are absent, you definitely shouldn't expose the dish to heat. 

There's no single, universal symbol indicating microwave safety, but generally, it's characterized by multiple horizontal wavy lines. There's also no standardized symbol for dishwasher safety; commonly used symbols include a wine glass or plate with a water droplet, slanting dotted lines with dishes beneath them, or varying combinations of these images.

There are also symbols letting you know whether it's safe to freeze a food container. It may bear some type of snowflake emblem, letting you know it's rated to withstand freezing temperatures.