Food-Grade Facility Standards and Guidelines:
Food-grade logistics and warehousing are vital parts of the supply chain for food distribution. Maintaining the highest quality and safety standards when producing, processing, and handling food is crucial.
This article will examine the significant standards and regulations for food-producing facilities, emphasizing their importance for maintaining food safety and consumer confidence.
What is a food-grade facility?
An area that complies with particular requirements and standards for manufacturing, processing, packing, and storing food products is called a food-grade facility.
Materials, products, and facilities undergo testing, certification, and inspection to ensure they adhere to the relevant standards and laws before being deemed food-grade. Maintaining the quality of the food supply chain and protecting consumer health are all benefits of adhering to food-grade criteria.
Food-grade logistics and warehousing are vital parts of the supply chain for food distribution. Maintaining the highest quality and safety standards when producing, processing, and handling food is crucial.
This article will examine the significant standards and regulations for food-producing facilities, emphasizing their importance for maintaining food safety and consumer confidence.
What is a food-grade facility?
An area that complies with particular requirements and standards for manufacturing, processing, packing, and storing food products is called a food-grade facility.
Materials, products, and facilities undergo testing, certification, and inspection to ensure they adhere to the relevant standards and laws before being deemed food-grade. Maintaining the quality of the food supply chain and protecting consumer health are all benefits of adhering to food-grade criteria.
The EU Parliament has adopted regulation 1935/2004 which regulates materials for direct and indirect food contact. This is a framework and the idea behind it is that a material that comes into contact with food should be secured so as not to be dangerous to the end user. There are today (April 2013) a number of completed regulations, e.g. for plastics, cellulose, ceramics, etc. In addition to these materials, Regulation 1935/2004 contains additional subheadings, including silicone and glass. These can be seen at the bottom of the overview image
The Differences Between Food Grade and Food Safe
Finally, food service establishments, manufacturers, and equipment manufacturers must be able to distinguish ‘food grade’ from ‘food safe.’ Though it’s fairly common to hear these two terms used interchangeably, the concepts – and corresponding regulations – behind them are actually quite distinct.
As explained, ‘food grade’ demands that all food components, as well as the surfaces and tools that interact with them during the manufacturing/assembly process, are safe for human consumption and/or exposure. On the other hand, ‘food safe’ refers to the material which comes into contact with the food having no dangerous effect on the consumer.
What makes these two concepts different is that ‘food grade’ contains the detail that temperature or environment will not impact the integrity of the material, but that is not necessarily true for ‘food safe’ materials. For example, a plastic container may be ‘food safe,’ but it doesn’t meet the criteria for ‘food grade’ status because it can’t withstand certain high temperatures.
Clearly, the parties involved in the manufacturing of food – and the materials that come into contact with it – are all equally responsible for every component of the products. Without these guidelines in place, consumers are exposed to unnecessary risks.
Finally, food service establishments, manufacturers, and equipment manufacturers must be able to distinguish ‘food grade’ from ‘food safe.’ Though it’s fairly common to hear these two terms used interchangeably, the concepts – and corresponding regulations – behind them are actually quite distinct.
As explained, ‘food grade’ demands that all food components, as well as the surfaces and tools that interact with them during the manufacturing/assembly process, are safe for human consumption and/or exposure. On the other hand, ‘food safe’ refers to the material which comes into contact with the food having no dangerous effect on the consumer.
What makes these two concepts different is that ‘food grade’ contains the detail that temperature or environment will not impact the integrity of the material, but that is not necessarily true for ‘food safe’ materials. For example, a plastic container may be ‘food safe,’ but it doesn’t meet the criteria for ‘food grade’ status because it can’t withstand certain high temperatures.
Clearly, the parties involved in the manufacturing of food – and the materials that come into contact with it – are all equally responsible for every component of the products. Without these guidelines in place, consumers are exposed to unnecessary risks.
Silicone in Food Contact Materials
In the EU, all food contact materials (FCMs) are regulated by the Food Contact Materials Regulation (EC 1935/2004). This regulation establishes safety requirements for articles and materials intended to come in contact with food, including that they may not transfer substances to food which change the composition, endanger human health and/or change the taste and smell of food. Specific migration limits have been set for certain substances.
In Europe, the LFGB (Lebensmittel-, Bedarfsgegenstände- und Futtermittelgesetzbuch) standard is primarily followed. LFGB Silicone is a premium grade of silicone that has passed the testing standards set by LFGB.
There are two main testing standards for food-grade silicone: FDA and LFGB. Products that pass either of these tests are considered safe for human use. However, silicone that has passed LFGB testing is generally considered to be of higher quality. LFGB testing regulations are more stringent than FDA testing, requiring silicone materials to undergo more intensive testing.
In the EU, all food contact materials (FCMs) are regulated by the Food Contact Materials Regulation (EC 1935/2004). This regulation establishes safety requirements for articles and materials intended to come in contact with food, including that they may not transfer substances to food which change the composition, endanger human health and/or change the taste and smell of food. Specific migration limits have been set for certain substances.
In Europe, the LFGB (Lebensmittel-, Bedarfsgegenstände- und Futtermittelgesetzbuch) standard is primarily followed. LFGB Silicone is a premium grade of silicone that has passed the testing standards set by LFGB.
There are two main testing standards for food-grade silicone: FDA and LFGB. Products that pass either of these tests are considered safe for human use. However, silicone that has passed LFGB testing is generally considered to be of higher quality. LFGB testing regulations are more stringent than FDA testing, requiring silicone materials to undergo more intensive testing.
