What is Food Grade Rubber?

Food processing is serious business in America. It takes specially certified materials to handle and package food properly within established guidelines set forth by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Rubber is often the desired material for use in food packaging and preparation applications. However, it cannot be just any rubber. It must be food grade rubber, which is usually an FDA approved silicone product. Rubber-Cal stocks food grade silicone rubber so that food preparation and packaging projects can be completed while abiding by the proper health and safety standards established by the FDA. It is preferred for use as food grade seals and gasketing as well because FDA grade silicone sheet is non-toxic, very flexible, and has a great working temperature range.

Food grade rubber is generally made with higher quality silicone materials. More importantly, they must be considered non-toxic materials and must not leave any resideu when they come in contact with the food content itself. In other words, it is vital that the food grade rubber material itself has no impact on the food it comes into contact with, and simply provides a protective pad. Stringent rules, or codes, were established by the FDA certifying when an elastomer can be classified as a food grade rubber. This is because we all consume food and we should be ingesting safe, non-contaminated edibles. This code, often labeled alongside food grade silicone as 21CFR177.2600, is a set of regulations relating to anything that has to do with agriculture. Food processing falls into this category. The rules regarding food grade rubber are found in Title 21, Section 177.2600 of the Code of Federal Regulations (accessdata.fda.gov).

Silicone – Premium FDA Grade White – 60A – 3/32″ x 36″

• Non-marking white rubber
• Exhibits a fair degree of flexibility
• Moderately resistant to physical indentation
• Has resistance to certain gases, liquids, and chemicals
• Food grade silicone is ideal for use as seals for food packaging and other FDA approved roles

FDA Approved: The FDA has exacting standards about the types of materials that can come in contact with consumables. This is ultimately for our safety. The materials used to make this food grade rubber have been approved by the FDA. Our rubber sheet silicone conforms to regulation 21 CFR 177.2600, which is an FDA regulation that establishes the standards for rubber articles intended for repeated contact with food. Using food grade silicone is a great way to ensure that foreign substances will not contaminate the food.

Great Temperature Range: Silicone rubber is the go-to elastomer for any tasks that involve extreme temperatures. This white rubber material can function in temperatures between -103° F and 500° F. So whether a silicone food grade gasket is used in below freezing temperatures or at extremely high boiling temperatures, it will retain its structural integrity and prevent damage to food material.

21 CFR 177.2600 FDA Regulation

Department of Health and Human Services has published guidelines that detail what elastomers and substances can be used as “components of articles intended for repeated use” with foods and during the production of food materials. Sec. 177.2600 details what rubber materials can be used for recurring contact with food materials. Membranes, rubber sheeting, pads, gaskets and seals used in manufacturing, cooking, fabrication, storing, treating, handling, conveying, transporting or preserving food and food byproducts must be approved by Sec. 177.2600 regulations. Amongst elastomers and rubber products that are approved for use are Acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, Chloroprene polymers, natural rubber and a variety of silicone elastomers. In additions, the 21CFR177.2600 rules also apply to vulcanization materials, agents, accelerators, activators and other ingredients and materials that are used in rubber sheets and when rubber sheeting is produced. FDA approval indicates that the rubber sheets or rubber rolls are nontoxic and when used for direct contact with food, the final product is safe for human consumption.

Silicone – Premium FDA Grade White – 60A – 1/8″ x 36″

Silicone – Premium FDA Grade White – 60A – 1/8″ x 36″

• Non-marking white rubber
• Exhibits a fair degree of flexibility
• Moderately resistant to physical indentation
• Has resistance to certain gases, liquids, and chemicals
• Food grade silicone is ideal for use as seals for food packaging and other FDA approved roles

FDA Approved: The FDA has exacting standards about the types of materials that can come in contact with consumables. This is ultimately for our safety. The materials used to make this food grade rubber have been approved by the FDA. Our rubber sheet silicone conforms to regulation 21 CFR 177.2600, which is an FDA regulation that establishes the standards for rubber articles intended for repeated contact with food. Using food grade silicone is a great way to ensure that foreign substances will not contaminate the food.

Great Temperature Range: Silicone rubber is the go-to elastomer for any tasks that involve extreme temperatures. This white rubber material can function in temperatures between -103° F and 500° F. So whether a silicone food grade gasket is used in below freezing temperatures or at extremely high boiling temperatures, it will retain its structural integrity and prevent damage to food material.

Why Use White Rubber Sheets?

White color makes other hues easy to identify when they are on the white surfacing. White rubber sheets make identifying messy or dirty environments easier and allows for easy cleaning. White rubber sheeting offers feelings of cleanliness, purity, and simplicity. This should not be understated, because if the base color is something other than white, then when used it may not convey the idea of cleanliness or in a virgin and unchanged state. The quality of white surfaces is often described by their intensity to present other colors that appear on top of them. Surfaces appear white when they reflect the full spectrum of light. Even though we have been referring to white as a color in a technical sense, white is not a color, rather it is a shade. In physics, a color is one that has a specified wavelength. Because black and white lack distinct wavelengths, they are not considered colors.

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The Versatile Food Grade Rubber

Although Title 21 mentions a variety of rubber and elastomers, FDA approved silicone rubber is the most versatile elastomer for food-related applications. Silicone is ideal for use as a food grade rubber because it is a non-toxic material. When it comes into contact with food products, it will not contaminate the food with any foreign chemical substances. The non-toxicity assurance makes sure that a rubber sheeting used in food processing is safe by testing it to make sure it meets the FDA guidelines. This confirms that no toxins are formed when the food materials are produced, fabricated, packaged or conveyed in the supply chain. The 21 CFR 177.2600 FDA regulation certifies that all products used in the process of food manufacturing made for human consumption are non-toxic. In addition to being non-toxic, it has almost non-existent levels of odor and taste. These non-contaminating qualities make food grade silicone the perfect material for use as food grade seals or FDA approved gaskets.

FDA compliant silicone is moisture resistant. The moisture resistance means that FDA compliant silicone can resist the absorption and conduction of water or moistness without meaningful deterioration in food grade silicone’s properties. This characteristic is important for materials used in the production of foods since moisture is inherent to most fruits, vegetables, meats, and most other foodstuff. This also helps to prevent harm from other water-borne matters like mold, corrosion, and structural weakening.

It is a mold-resistant and water-repellant material that does not allow for any organic agents to form on it. Another important feature of silicone is its temperature resistance. Since some food production requires heating and cooking food materials, some materials in contact with foods during processing cooking or conveying will need to have a viable temperature resistance. FDA approved silicone has a working temperature range of -80 Fahrenheit to 450 Fahrenheit and some intermittent to 500F.

Silicone – Premium FDA Grade White – 60A – 1/4″ x 36″

• Non-marking white rubber
• Exhibits a fair degree of flexibility
• Moderately resistant to physical indentation
• Has resistance to certain gases, liquids, and chemicals
• Food grade silicone is ideal for use as seals for food packaging and other FDA approved roles

FDA Approved: The FDA has exacting standards about the types of materials that can come in contact with consumables. This is ultimately for our safety. The materials used to make this food grade rubber have been approved by the FDA. Our rubber sheet silicone conforms to regulation 21 CFR 177.2600, which is an FDA regulation that establishes the standards for rubber articles intended for repeated contact with food. Using food grade silicone is a great way to ensure that foreign substances will not contaminate the food.

Great Temperature Range: Silicone rubber is the go-to elastomer for any tasks that involve extreme temperatures. This white rubber material can function in temperatures between -103° F and 500° F. So whether a silicone food grade gasket is used in below freezing temperatures or at extremely high boiling temperatures, it will retain its structural integrity and prevent damage to food material.

Silicone – Premium FDA Grade White – 60A – 1/4″ x 36″

Food Grade Silicone vs. Regular Silicone

Not all silicone variations are safe for cooking and handling food. The difference between food grade silicone and regular silicone can most obviously be found in the composition of each material. Food grade silicone products are made with specific guidelines put into place to ensure that it is safe and non-toxic for cooking and storing food. Regular silicone may have certain chemicals or other compounds that may not be safe to use around food. It is not just the elastomeric compound rather other vulcanization materials, curing agents, accelerators, rubber activators and other ingredients and materials also need to be safe and on the approved list of acceptable materials. In addition, color pigments added to silicone may contribute to the toxicity of silicone that is not food safe. FDA approved silicone must be tested and proved to be 100% food grade. Regular silicone sheets are not recommended for use in cooking, processing, packaging or conveying applications.