Food Grade Bucket
A food grade bucket will be made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) AND be unadulterated from any possible previous containment.
In other words, a food grade bucket will be constructed from HDPE, which 99% of the time will be indicated somewhere on the bucket by the following resin code symbol:
However, to truly be considered food grade, the bucket will also need to be free from any harmful chemicals it may have been previously exposed to if used. Also, some color dyes may make the bucket unsuitable for food storage purposes (even though the food is stored inside Mylar bags placed in the bucket). With all the uncertainty surrounding what is and isn’t a food grade bucket, there are two main attributes to look for:
- The bucket is made of HDPE and displays the “2” symbol somewhere on it.
- The bucket is new and hasn’t previously been used for any type of chemical or other non-food storage purpose.
- The bucket should be white to ensure no harmful color dyes are used. Although not all color’s present a health risk, white is the safest bet.
Food grade buckets generally range from 70-90mils thick.
Posted in: Glossary