Frequently Asked Questions
It is not uncommon for gel packs to not be fully frozen by arrival; gel packs melt as they keep our boxes cold. We have designed our insulation to keep our boxes and their contents at refrigerated temperatures. We have thoroughly tested our insulation to withstand different climates and seasons.
However, we strongly recommend you transfer your meals immediately to the refrigerator upon delivery. All proteins should arrive below 41℉. If your proteins arrive above this temperature, please discard them and contact our Customer Care Team.
All of our meals are delivered to you in completely BPA-free CPET individual plastic containers!
CPET stands for Crystallizable PolyEthylene Terephthalate. These plastics are safe for food storage as well as heating in the microwave or oven.
We ship our meals in insulated boxes with gel packs that will keep the box at refrigerated temperatures for quite a long time! We thoroughly test them in all seasons across all climates.
Keep in mind that it is normal for the gel packs to be slightly melted by the time they arrive. This is because they release cold air into the box as they melt. The cold air does dissipate quickly when you open the box, so you should transfer the meals to the fridge immediately.
Here is how to recycle and dispose of packaging materials:
Boxes - Break down the box and place it curbside with your recycling.
Insulation - We utilize several different types of insulation: Laminated insulation (brown paper product) is curbside recyclable. PET insulation is made of 100% recycled materials; however, it should be disposed of in the trash. Cotton insulation should be discarded in the trash.https://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/ Gel packs - The gel packs are non-toxic and reusable! The contents of our gel packs are made of 99% salt water and 1% sodium polyacrylate. You can dispose of them by draining the gel into the trash. To avoid clogging your pipes, please don’t put the contents of the ice packs in your sink or toilet. If you’d like, you can also donate them locally to aLocal Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts of America. The plastic film should not be curbside recycled, but you can find more information about where to recycle it here:www.plasticfilmrecycling.org.
Food containers - Food containers - our food containers are BPA-free, made from PET (#1 plastic).
It is always worth checking what materials are recyclable in your area. If your town doesn't recycle certain materials, or you're interested in other options, check out Earth911.com for a list of recycling facilities near you
The health of our customers and the safety of our food has always been the #1 priority for Factor and while COVID-19 is very much top of mind to all of us these days, it is only one of many food safety concerns that the ready-to-eat meals businesses (such as restaurants, grocery stores and Factor) manage every day.
We take this responsibility seriously and always meet or exceed the ongoing guidance from the experts at CDC, FDA, USDA and Health Departments across all aspects of our business and are taking extra precautions to provide further assurance to our customers during this current pandemic.
- Our kitchen and production facility undergoes a full, “deep” sanitation daily as well as multiple sanitation cleaning of all equipment throughout the day.
- Employees are given a health screening as they arrive at work and are sent home if they are ill; all employees properly wash their hands every time they enter a food production area and always wear gloves and masks when they handle food. They are provided clean coats, which are changed at specific times during each day. Hair and beard nets have always been worn throughout our production facility with 100% compliance.
- The Factor facility is permitted by the Health Department whose standards mirror or exceed those of the USDA, FDA and Illinois Department of Health. We operate with robust quality and food safety protocols which are designed specifically for our facility. And of course, our kitchen adheres to USDA cooking/cooling temperature requirements.
- Employees who pack your weekly order wear masks and gloves when handling the packaged meals and equipment is regularly wiped down and sanitized.
Here is a link to the FDA's frequently asked questions site regarding COVID-19.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to our Customer Experience Team with any questions by calling 888.573.5727.
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