There are numerous material types that go through scrutiny when it comes to being utilized as food and drink storage receptacles and/or containers. Health and safety codes are to be passed with an absoluteness before they’re given the go signal to be marketed. The same is true with food-grade resin.
Resin has a versatile number of uses. But regarding food-grade resin and finding out if what you’re about to purchase is indeed harmless even when food is exposed to it, here are tips about food grade resin from resin-expert.com, and what you should know regarding the material-safety of resin.
Food-Grade Resin Safety Criterion
1. FDA-Approval
One of the most obvious ways to tell that an item is food-grade (whether it’s made of resin or otherwise) is if it has passed the safety standards of the United States Food And Drug Authority. Some time ago, a number of countries declared that any kind of epoxy-manufactured commodity is food-safe. But the EU paved the way in correcting this misinformation by providing guidelines for determining the food safety level of resin.
Manufacturers who have gone through and have passed the rigid testing phase are awarded a seal of approval. However, the rigidity of the testing phase itself, along with how it’s time-consuming and hefty in testing cost are some of the reasons why a majority have chosen not to go obtain a seal. Thus, only a handful of resin products have acquired said seal.
Accordingly, if you come across one that has been verified by the FDA and by the EU’s uniform guidelines, that in itself can be your assurance of the products’ safety.
2. Epoxy Safety
So then, is epoxy food-safe? Let’s start by defining its two “states”, which are also called “consistencies”. The first is its liquid condition, and the second, its cured consistency. Epoxy’s liquid condition is considered highly toxic, and its cured counterpart, non-toxic.
Having said that, despite being in its cured, non-toxic form, it isn’t guaranteed that epoxy is food-safe. This implies that it should not be utilized on items that will come into close contact with drinks and edibles because of the possibility of chemicals leaching onto said items.
Epoxy’s uncured forms contain substances such as carbolic acid and epichlorohydrin, both of which have been revealed to cause cell and/ or nerve poisoning and cancer when directly exposed to any part of the body (skin contact or through accidental ingestion), and in toxically high concentrations over a long period of time.
3. BPA Review
There are resin products that carry Bisphenol A, or BPA. Many of these products even come in the form of household products. That’s because BPA is another synthetic chemical compound found in numerous strains of plastics and adhesives.
There have been several contrasting data regardings its safety, and yes, in edibles, too. And though the FDA has declared that low levels of BPA have been found in ordinary types of food items (a large percentage of the population have been exposed to very low levels of BPA one way or another), BPA and its effects are concurrently under observation and review.
Still, researches show that keeping plastic and/ or epoxy vessels away from high temperatures is one method to stop them from leaching and/ or releasing BPA onto food and drinks. Then again, if they aren’t marked food-safe, then it’s best to simply avoid using such products for food storage purposes.
