If you’re in a profession or industry that uses kraft paper or butcher paper every day, you may think that the two are entirely different. While they are generally used for different purposes, you may be surprised to learn that butcher paper and kraft paper start out as the same paper.
The term butcher paper first appeared when butchers began using paper to wrap and store meat and seafood.
Both kraft paper and butcher begin with the same exact raw materials, meaning kraft paper actually shares the same wood fiber as butcher paper. When it comes to the true differences between these papers, they basically come down to how they are processed beyond their raw materials and how they are best used.
What’s in a color?
If you’re like most people, you may think that color is the main differentiator between kraft and butcher papers. Kraft paper is brown, and butcher paper is white, right? Not necessarily. Many manufacturers offer brown kraft paper, but in reality, the paper is available in a large variety of colors. It can be brown, white, or multicolored.
The same is true of butcher paper, which can be white, but is also available from some suppliers in other colors, such as black and pink. In fact, the use of pink butcher paper, also known as peach paper, has exploded in recent years among barbecue aficionados and enthusiasts.
So what’s the true difference?
What makes butcher paper different from kraft paper comes down to the treatment applied to butcher paper to strengthen it for food grade use. Butcher paper is engineered to withstand moisture better than kraft paper and offers superior blood, and moisture holdout than standard kraft paper. Learn more about the most popular butcher paper uses.
Butcher paper is FDA approved for direct contact with food. This is important to note if you’re in the foodservice industry. If your paper is coming in contact with food, you want to make sure your paper vendor is supplying you with 100% FDA Approved butcher paper.