A container clearly indicates that it has been opened after a store clerk
loads food into the base of the container and closes a covering of the
container onto the base. The covering (16) includes a peripheral cover
portion (22) that becomes fixed to a peripheral base portion (32) when
the clerk initially closes the container. To thereafter open the
container, a person forcefully lifts a tab (30) on the covering to tear
the covering along a long tear line (26) that separates the peripheral
cover portion (22) from a lid (24) formed by a radially inner covering
portion. The base (12) is fixed to the peripheral covering portion (22),
and together they form a base device (40). After the lid has been torn
free of the peripheral covering portion, the lid can be closed and
latched to the base device and then can be easily opened again. The
container is supplied to the store with an adhesive strip (34) that the
clerk activates by shining ultraviolet light (UV) at the adhesive after
he/she places the loaded and initially closed container in a UV chamber
(86), or mechanical latches with tabs engaging shoulders can be used.