Food Grade Plastic

"Food grade plastics" is best defined as food-safe plastics. The term refers to any plastic that is suitable for contact with consumer food or beverage products. Since some acidic foods or liquids can leach chemicals from containers, it is important to store them in the proper containers.

You don't have to be a plastics expert to determine if a material is food grade. Alfa Chemistry offers customers a wide range of food-safe plastics, including but not limited to high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Figure 1. Food grade plastic.

Application

We can supply the following plastics, which are usually very safe for contact with food

HDPE

HDPE is the most common household plastic used to make beverage bottles, butter containers, cereal box liners, and thicker food storage tubs.

LDPE

LDPE is less rigid and is ideal for extruded bottles or plastic films, such as cling film. It is chemically resistant, repels microorganisms, and does not leach harmful toxins when used to store food at various temperatures. However, it is considered unsafe to come into contact with food in its recycled state.

PET

Plastic cans and beverage containers are most likely made of PET. It also repels microorganisms and does not corrode, making it an overall ideal material for food and beverage contact and storage.

PP

PP is most commonly used in disposable containers such as yogurt cups but is also found in reusable containers where leftovers can be stored. It is also microwaveable and non-volatile, which means it will not react with any type of food you store in it, whether it is acidic, alkaline, or liquid.

PC

The specific FDA-approved polycarbonate sheets are available for a variety of food applications, from hospital trays to water bottles.