Plastic food container

A deformable food container nestable with identical containers when in the open position comprising

• a bottom dish and a cover interconnected by a hinge formed as an integral part of the dish and cover and made of a foam plastic material,
• said dish and cover having bottom and top walls respectively and each having tapered side walls that flare outwardly from the respective bottom and top walls, said side walls each terminating in a rim,
• a first stacking means formed at the rim of the cover and including a shoulder spaced below the rim and a substantially vertical wall joining the shoulder and rim, said substantially vertical wall causing interference between the shoulder and rim of the cover nested below it substantially equal to the thickness of the substantially vertical wall so as to provide a finite stack height for the cover when nested with the cover of an identical food container,
• a pedestal having substantially vertical side walls formed in the bottom wall of the dish and spaced from the tapered side wall for supporting food placed in the dish above the bottom wall,
• said pedestal having a height equal to the height of the stacking means in the cover and defining a second stacking means and having a finite stack height for the dish when nested with the dish of an identical food container equal to the finite stack height provided by the first stacking means in the cover,
• and latching means formed in the side walls of the dish and cover opposite the hinge, said latching means releasably locking the cover and dish in a closed position with the shoulder of the cover lying closely adjacent and below the latching means of the dish and the rim of the cover overlapping and abbutting the rim of the dish.