Containers are the receptacles that hold, store, or transport foods — bottles, cans, jars, tubs, pouches, and tanks in every material from glass to multilayer plastic. The word also describes the large, portable, standard-sized metal boxes that carry cargo on lorries and ships, the workhorses of global food trade. A good food container protects against microbes, moisture, light, and crushing while declaring its contents honestly. From the single-serve cup to the forty-foot box, containers are the packaging hierarchy that moves food safely from factory to fork.