Random Question
 

Does anyone know what makes plastic "food grade"?!

Essentially, the plastic needs to be inert and not leach anything back into it's contents.

Plastic films and containers of food grade quality are made from polycarbonate, polyester or polyethylene. Their characteristics in terms of density, permeability and strength vary. To limit permeability to moisture and oxygen, films of the above plastics are sometimes laminated together, frequently with a metallic layer. Military food packaged in just such a metallized polyester, polyethylene wrap has a long shelf life (5+ years) if kept cool.

Not something I knew. I googled it.

Also, food grade plastics are never post consumer recyled material to ensure zero contamination.

I also herd that there is a numbering system from 2 to 7 don't remember which one is safer though

Cool....thanks guys! Just going to try my hand at homemade wine and it calls for a fermenter which consists of a 24G food grade plastic container.

I'll let you know how the wine tastes in about a month and a half :D

Good luck with the wine making! My hubby has made wine twice now. Never used a fermenter though, we just used the carboys. :wink:

Plastics with a triangle and a number 7 in the triangle is what is being questioned right now for health concerns. There is a bad chemical in it when heated that could be released, I believe.

I got some homemade peach wine in my cupboard, but i dont have a cork screw.. Mine broke, so i gotta get another one before i can enjoy it again. :lol:

On the bottom of any plastic container will be a triangle formed by some arrows with a number in the middle. That will identify the type of plastic you have on your hands.

The "best" for our purposes is "#2" or HDPE, which is what all those ubiquitous white 5-gallon buckets are made of and is also what Starboard plastic is.

http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_p...5&DOC=FILE.PDF