- +66 95 881 6730
- thai@narisaralookoil.asia
- Narisaralook Oil Export Co., Ltd., Soi Mu Ban Chom Thong, Chom Thong, Bangkok 10150, Thailand
Bulk Cooking Oil Packaging & Supply Options
When you import cooking oil in bulk, the packaging format you choose has a direct impact on your landed cost, the customers you can serve after arrival, and how the cargo is handled through your supply chain. Narisaralook Oil Export supplies every major edible oil packaging format from Thailand, from retail-ready PET bottles through to flexitank bulk shipments, so that one supplier can serve supermarkets, distributors, food manufacturers and industrial fryers in the same program.
This guide explains each packaging option, the buyers it suits best, and the practical questions you should settle before requesting a quotation. Packaging decisions work together with your shipping terms and container plan, so we also recommend reading our container loading guide and our comparison of FOB vs CIF shipping terms.
Why Packaging Choice Matters for Bulk Oil Importers
Edible oil is a dense cargo, and the packaging format determines how many metric tons fit inside each container. Choosing between bottles, cans, drums, totes and flexitanks is therefore a freight-economics decision as much as a marketing one:
- Freight utilization: bulk formats such as flexitanks carry more oil per container than bottled formats, lowering the ocean freight component of your cost per liter.
- Destination handling: your warehouse infrastructure determines whether you can receive bulk cargo or need retail-ready packaging delivered straight to shelves.
- Target market: retail chains require labeled bottles; restaurants and caterers favor jerry cans; food processors often prefer drums or bulk.
- Labeling compliance: each destination country has its own labeling language and nutrition-declaration rules, which are easiest to apply at the bottling stage in Thailand.
- Climate along the route: oil types such as palm olein can cloud in cold conditions; packaging and grade selection should match the climates your cargo passes through.
PET Bottles (Retail Packaging)
Available in 1L, 2L and 5L sizes, PET bottles are the standard format for supermarket shelves and retail distribution. Bottles are filled, capped, labeled and packed into export cartons at our production facility, arriving ready for immediate distribution. PET bottles are also the natural format for private label programs, where your brand artwork is applied during filling.
Best suited for: retail chains, importers serving grocery distribution, and brands building consumer recognition.
Jerry Cans (10L, 20L, 25L)
Jerry cans in 10L, 20L and 25L sizes are the workhorse format for the food-service channel. They are easy to maneuver in commercial kitchens, pour cleanly, and survive repeated handling during redistribution. Many regional distributors start with jerry cans because they serve both restaurants and small retailers without repacking.
Best suited for: restaurants, catering companies, wholesalers and redistributors.
Steel Drums (210L)
210-liter steel drums are the classic industrial format for cooking oil. Drums suit buyers who fry at scale or process oil further, because a drum feeds fryers and blending tanks with minimal equipment. Drums are also a convenient unit for regional onward sale, since many industrial customers are equipped to handle drums but not bulk liquid transfer.
Best suited for: snack food producers, industrial frying operations, and repackers serving food manufacturers.
IBC Totes (1,000L)
1,000-liter IBC totes sit between drums and flexitanks on the volume scale. A tote is drained by gravity or a simple pump, stacks when empty, and gives mid-size food processors bulk economics without the tank infrastructure a flexitank discharge requires. Totes are a popular compromise for buyers testing bulk supply for the first time.
Best suited for: mid-size food processors, central kitchens and repacking plants.
Flexitanks (16,000-24,000L)
A flexitank is a single-use food-grade bladder installed inside a standard 20ft container, carrying 16,000 to 24,000 liters of oil - approximately 21 metric tons per 20ft container in a typical cooking oil load. Flexitank cargo arrives at the lowest packaging cost per liter and is discharged into your storage tank through a standard hose connection.
Flexitanks are the preferred format for buyers who operate bulk storage and repacking facilities at destination, and for government and institutional tender programs where oil is distributed in local packaging. Because discharge requires tank storage and a pump, first-time bulk buyers should confirm their receiving infrastructure before ordering. Our container loading guide compares 20ft and 40ft options in detail.
Best suited for: bulk distributors, repackers, institutional buyers and tender programs.
Packaging Format Comparison
| Packaging Format | Typical Volume | Best Suited For |
| PET bottles | 1L / 2L / 5L | Retail shelves, supermarkets, private label brands |
| Jerry cans | 10L / 20L / 25L | Restaurants, caterers, wholesale redistribution |
| Steel drums | 210L | Industrial frying, food processors, onward B2B sale |
| IBC totes | 1,000L | Mid-size plants, central kitchens, repacking |
| Flexitank | 16,000-24,000L (approx. 21 MT per 20ft) | Bulk storage buyers, repackers, tender programs |
Exact quantity per container varies with bottle size, carton configuration and destination restrictions. Our sales team confirms the final loading plan in every quotation.
Private Label & OEM Packaging
We provide complete private label and OEM manufacturing services for cooking oil brands. Private label services include custom bottle design (PET, glass or HDPE), label design and printing, shrink sleeve application, multi-language labeling and retail-ready carton packaging. Minimum order quantities for private label orders start at one 20ft container.
Private label buyers typically combine this with our step-by-step import guide to plan labeling compliance for their destination market before the first order is produced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum order quantity for bulk cooking oil?
The minimum order is one 20ft container. For flexitank packaging this is approximately 21 metric tons, and for bottled packaging approximately 800 cartons. Confirm the exact loading plan for your packaging preference with our sales team.
Which packaging format offers the lowest cost per liter for importers?
For buyers who have bulk storage or repacking facilities at destination, flexitank shipments generally offer the lowest freight cost per liter. For buyers serving retail or food-service customers directly, bottles and jerry cans avoid repacking costs at destination. Request a quotation for both options to compare landed costs for your market.
Can I mix different packaging formats in one container?
Mixed packaging loads are common practice in edible oil exports. Tell our sales team which formats and volumes you need, and we will confirm the loading plan and freight utilization for your destination port.
Do you offer private label and OEM packaging?
Yes. We offer complete private labeling services including custom labels, bottles and packaging according to your brand specifications and market requirements. Minimum order quantities for private label orders start at one 20ft container.
How is oil quality protected during bulk shipping?
All products are shipped in sealed food-grade packaging. Standard export documents include Certificate of Origin, Phytosanitary Certificate, Fumigation Certificate and Certificate of Analysis, with SGS/FIGICO international inspection available on request.
Related Buyer Guides
Ready to Discuss Your Packaging Plan?
Contact our sales team today for a quotation matched to your packaging format and destination.