Packaging

A portion cup is a small lidded cup for sauces, dressings and sides, sold in 1, 1.5, 2, 3.25 and 4 oz sizes. Use 1 oz for ketchup, hot sauce and single dips, 1.5 to 2 oz for dressings, sour cream and dipping sauces, and 3.25 to 4 oz for salsa, guacamole, coleslaw and fruit. The 2 oz cup is the industry standard side-sauce size. At Chicken Pieces, Sysco Classic and Gordon Choice portion cups are packed 200 per sleeve with 10 or 12 sleeves per case (2,000 to 2,500 cups), and lids are sold separately in the same counts so you can pair clear or vented lids as needed.

Takeout container size is chosen by portion volume. A 24 to 32 oz container fits a full entree with sides; 16 oz suits a large side, soup or salad; 8 to 12 oz covers small sides and desserts. The 16 oz round deli container is the most common size in Canadian restaurants because it works for soups, sauces, salads and prep storage. Three-compartment 9 x 9 inch hinged containers hold a protein plus two sides for plated meals. Chicken Pieces stocks 8, 12, 16, 24 and 32 oz deli containers, with the 24 oz sold 100 per pack, plus hinged foam, PP plastic, foil and bagasse containers by the case.

Hot food should go in polypropylene (PP, resin code 5), foam, foil or moulded-fibre bagasse containers, which hold temperatures above 90 C without warping. Clear PET (resin code 1) deli cups and lids are cold-only and will soften above about 60 C, so they are for salads, cold sauces and drinks. Only PP containers marked microwave safe should be reheated by the customer; foam and foil must not go in a microwave. Foil keeps roasted and fried food crisp, bagasse breathes to reduce steam, and PP seals best for saucy dishes. Every Chicken Pieces listing states the material and whether the container is microwave safe.

Compostable packaging is made from plant materials such as PLA (corn-based plastic) or bagasse (sugarcane fibre) and is designed to break down in a commercial compost facility, typically within 90 to 180 days when BPI or CMA certified. Recyclable packaging such as PET (code 1) and PP (code 5) is collected in blue-bin programs but does not decompose. A compostable item is not recyclable and a recyclable item is not compostable, so mixing them contaminates both streams. Under the federal single-use plastics ban, foam clamshells and plastic cutlery can no longer be sold in Canada, which is why bagasse clamshells, paper straws and wooden cutlery are the standard replacements Chicken Pieces stocks.

In foodservice packaging, lids are normally sold separately from the containers so a restaurant can choose flat, dome, vented or tamper-evident lids for the same base. Deli containers share a common rim size across 8 to 32 oz, so one lid fits every size in that family. Portion cups use a lid matched to the cup diameter, so 1 oz, 2 oz and 4 oz cups each need their own lid. When ordering, buy containers and lids in the same case count; for example 500 deli containers with 500 lids, or a 2,500-count sleeve of portion cups with 2,500 lids. Combo packs that include lids are labelled as such on Chicken Pieces.

Shipping is a flat $16.50 anywhere in Canada and free on orders over $199 before tax. Orders are processed in 2 to 3 business days (cut-off 10:00 AM MST, Monday to Friday) and Canadian transit takes 2 to 6 business days. We also ship to the United States, with duties and taxes shown at checkout. See the Shipping page for full details.