Most of the materials used to store and serve food should be safe , non-toxic and temperature appropriate. Too many restaurants serve hot food in containers not intended for and not suitable for hot or warm food. Regulations enforcing this should be in place and dangerous materials should be banned or not approved for food serving, preparation, or storage.
Standards should be imposed upon food transportation, warehouses, and stores which specifies more strictly which food and beverages and which types of packaging and containers may be kept at what temperature. In addition to refrigerated and frozen goods, certain products which are not heat stable and packaging which is not heat resistant should not be subjected to temperatures above what they can tolerate before deteriorating. Customers should not be sold heat degraded products and packaging. For example, it is a very common practice in Phoenix, Arizona for plastic water bottles to be stored outside for extended periods(days-weeks+) in the sun behind the grocery store during 120+ degree weather all summer long, bottles are warped and melted which exposes consumers to unsafe chemicals and microplastics.
We should increase the use of glass, silicone, and other safe non-toxic food packaging and serving containers including eco-friendly biodegradable cardboards rather than thin single-use plastics, styrofoam, and plastic wraps, even cutting down on aluminum when able. Many materials should be banned from use on food and drink altogether, and all materials used for food and drink should be appropriate, safe, and suitable for the temperature of the food stored or served in it as well as the conditions in which it is kept.
Many bio-degradable eco-friendly non-toxic heat-stable ocean-safe containers and utensils are being made by wonderful innovative companies and they should be encouraged and prioritized over unsafe toxic outdated materials which are harmful to our health, our environment, our children, and our oceans. Anyone that stores, sells, serves, prepares, handles, and transports food water and other beverages should be held to a higher standard to protect consumer safety(and product quality) especially in extreme temperatures.
We should explore and encourage innovations in these areas and reward the implementation of these enhanced practices(perhaps designating certain products as meeting certain packaging and temperature standards although I feel this should become the baseline for all food and beverage storage and handling).