Plastics that come into contact with consumable products must adhere to FDA regulations and use materials guaranteed safe for use in plastic food packaging. Here’s everything you need to know about the top FDA-approved plastics for food contact.
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
ABS is an amorphous plastic created by combining acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene polymers. ABS is a food-grade plastic safe for use in food processing tools like food processors and refrigerator linings. Excellent resistance to strain and abrasion, maintained impact resistance at low temperatures, and insulating properties make ABS great for food transportation applications as well. This food-safe plastic is very flexible and can easily be welded to complex shapes, adding to its manufacturing diversity.
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
HDPE is a thermoplastic often used in milk jugs, plastic water bottles, cutting boards, cereal box liners, grocery bags, and other plastic food packaging. HDPE’s tensile strength, high impact resistance and melting points, and large strength-to-density ratio make it ideal for food and beverage packaging. Also, HDPE is a nonporous polymer, which allows product teams to make long-lasting and easy-to-clean parts that don’t require additional maintenance.
PEEK is a lightweight and strong semi-crystalline thermoplastic. Due to its high melting point and low coefficient of thermal expansion, PEEK has high dimensional stability. As such, PEEK food handling products can withstand microwave use, dishwasher use, and intense temperatures when cooking directly on heat.
PP is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic manufactured through the polymerization of propene. PP is lightweight and moldable but still high in strength, making it an excellent FDA food-grade plastic. It also boasts a high melting point — making it safe for dishwasher and microwave use — low water absorption, and excellent chemical resistance.
Acetal (POM) copolymers and homopolymers are available in formulations suitable for contact with food. These include compliance with FDA, USDA, NSF, Canada AG and 3-A Dairy material standards.
