Produce crates
Produce crates are vented plastic crates that carry fruit and vegetables from the field or packhouse to the store shelf, letting cold air reach the product the whole way. They come as folding retail crates on metric footprints and as rigid, nesting field totes on inch footprints.
- Footprints
- 600x400 mm, 400x300 mm, 24x20, 24x16
- Heights
- 4.1 to 11.2 in (Tosca 600x400 series)
- Folded
- About 1.2 to 2.2 in (Tosca)
- Walls
- Vented for cooling
Vents, handles and ends: how they're built
Open walls and floor. Slots run through the sides and base so forced-air coolers can pull chilled air through a stacked pallet. ORBIS says its AF-21 is ventilated for cooling; IPL Schoeller advertises "Maximum ventilation for fresh food freshness and quality" on its PreLog Classic. The vented or solid guide covers when slots help and when they let juice or soil escape.
Locking corners. Tosca's folding produce crates use "Active Lock" handles and an interlocking design for stack strength, and are drawn with a retail-ready front so staff can put a crate straight onto a display and restock it there. Bail arms on field totes swing over the opening to carry the crate above, then fold back so empties nest.
Depth by crop. Height is chosen for the product, not the truck. Tosca spans 4.1 to 11.2 in on one footprint so berries, stone fruit or tomatoes can travel in a shallow crate that spares the bottom layer from crushing, while potatoes, onions or citrus fill a deeper one. Tell us the crop and we'll narrow the height range before anything else.
Produce crate models
Store-bound crates mostly follow the metric module; Tosca's sheet covers a 400x300 mm model and eight heights on 600x400 mm. Field and in-plant totes from ORBIS sit on 21x13, 24x16 and 24x20 footprints. Figures below are taken from the maker pages we read.
| Maker | Model | Footprint | Height | Folded / nest | Tare | Pallet fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tosca | 4317 | 15.75 x 11.81 in | 6.7 in | Folds to 1.26 in | 2.27 lb | Not listed |
| Tosca | 6408 to 6428 | 23.6 x 15.7 in | 4.1, 5.1, 6.06, 7.1, 8.2, 9.2, 10.2, 11.2 in | Folds to 1.16 to 2.17 in | 3.01 to 5.5 lb | Not listed |
| ORBIS | AF-21 bail arm | 24 x 20 in | 13.4 in | Nest ratio 3:1 | 7.5 lb (2.9 cu ft) | 4 per layer on 40 x 48 |
| ORBIS | AF2416-13 bail arm | 23.6 x 15.8 in | 13.2 in | Nest ratio 3:1 | 6.5 lb | 5 per layer on 40 x 48 |
| IPL Schoeller | PreLog Classic 600x400x235 | 23.6 x 15.7 in | 9.3 in | Foldable | Not listed | Not listed |
Field crate or retail crate
They do different jobs. A field tote is picked into, carried by hand down a row, set on a trailer and dumped or packed at the shed. ORBIS frames its agricultural line around field harvest, in-plant handling, staging and processing, and the bail-arm models nest when the run is over. Rigidity and a strong rim matter more than looks.
A retail crate is packed once and ends on a shelf. These usually fold rather than nest, because the empty has to go back from hundreds of stores to a wash depot. IPL Schoeller says foldable small containers "are common in the food sector" and that it produces them for the large pooling companies. So some retail crates circulate in rental pools rather than being owned by the shipper, and a pooled crate is not ours or yours to sell. For folding crates outside the produce aisle, see collapsible crates.
Food contact, in the makers' words
We don't certify any crate for food. What we can do is pass on exactly what each maker says, attributed, and help you get the paperwork. ORBIS writes on the AF-21 page: "Available in FDA-approved materials (Please specify when requesting a quote.)" IPL Schoeller says of its PreLog Classic: "Naturally they are food approved." Tosca states its crates are "Cleaned under the most robust food safety program in the industry, ISO 22000"; that is Tosca's description of its own program.
For used crates the question changes from material to history. Tell us what the crates carried before, whether they have been washed and how, and what they will carry next. Our food contact guide lists the documents to request before a crate touches open produce.
Used produce crates: buying with care
Ex-program field totes and surplus crates do change hands, and for nursery work, sorting, storage or non-food use they can be good value. For fresh food, history matters more than grade. General checks are on buying used and grades in used container grades; for produce, add these.
- Vent edges. Cracks often start at the corners of slots and spread under load.
- Residue and soil. Dried juice and field dirt hide in vents and corners. Ask for photos of the floor.
- Ownership marks. Pool and grower stamps can mean the crate belongs to someone else. We check before quoting.
- Bail arms. On field totes, arms should sit flat and swing freely.
Where they're used, and what to tell us
Growers and packers in agriculture; produce departments and fresh distribution in grocery and retail; trimming and staging in food processing. ORBIS also names case-ready meat as a use for the AF-21, which links to meat and poultry. For a quote, send:
- Footprint and height, or the crop and case pack
- Folding, nesting or rigid; vented sides, base or both
- Field, packhouse or retail use, and pallet size
- Quantity, new or used
- Food contact: what goes in, and prior contents of used crates
Questions
Are produce crates food grade?
We don't make that claim. Some makers state their materials for food use, such as ORBIS offering FDA-approved material on request; ask for the maker's document for your model and tell us what used crates held.
Why are retail produce crates metric?
Many retail reusable crates follow the 600x400 mm module, which tiles a pallet in neat fractions, with 400x300 mm as the half size. Tosca's produce series, for example, is 23.6 x 15.7 in.
Do vented crates need a liner for leafy greens?
Sometimes. Vents speed cooling but can dry tender leaves or let small items through. Your packer's spec decides; tell us and we'll match the wall.
Sources
Figures on this page come from these pages, last reviewed 2026-11-08. Makers update their sheets; confirm a model's figures on its current sheet before you order.