Although silicone is widely used in various industries, not all silicone is the same. Food-grade silicone and regular silicone differ significantly in performance and application, etc. As a silicone product manufacturer, we will introduce the differences between regular silicone and food-grade silicone to help you choose the better ones for your business.
What Is Regular Silicone?
Regular silicone is a kind of elastic silicone material. It is mainly composed of silicon-oxygen polymer materials and also contains additives or common fillers. Generally, it is used in industry or for ordinary accessories. And it is not suitable for direct contact with food.
What Is Food-Grade Silicone?
Food-grade silicone refers to a special silicone that meets national food safety standards. It is non-toxic and odorless, and does not contain any harmful substances. So it can safely contact food, baby products, etc
How to Distinguish Food-Grade Silicone and Regular Silicone?
Food-grade silicone and regular silicone have many differences. Below, we will guide you on how to identify them:
Identify Raw Material Purity
Ensuring the purity of the silicone raw materials is something you must do when purchasing silicone.
Food-grade silicone is made from high-purity raw silicone. Therefore, it contains no impurities and will not release harmful substances. While most regular silicone is mixed with recycled materials and impurities, so its purity is much lower. And it is very likely to contain harmful substances like plasticizers or heavy metals.
You can initially determine the composition of the silicone by checking the test report to judge its purity.
Verify FDA & LFGB Certifications
This is the most intuitive way to distinguish the food-grade silicone and regular silicone.
For food-grade silicone, you can directly ask the supplier for international food-grade certifications, such as FDA and LFGB, etc. Meanwhile, you can also trace back through the silicone quality report to ensure your silicone is food-grade.
However, regular silicone does not have FAD or LFGB certification. So, to ensure the quality of the regular silicone, you need to ask the supplier for the quality inspection report. If it cannot provide it, it means your silicone does not meet the food-grade standards. Please firmly refuse to let it contact food.
Judge Silicone Appearance & Texture
You can quickly distinguish them by observing and touching.
The food-grade silicone appearance is transparent, without any black spots or blemishes. However, the ordinary silicone is darker, and you can see obvious impurities and black spots.
Besides, the food-grade silicone texture is smoother than ordinary silicone. So when you touch the regular silicone, you will find that it feels harder and rougher.
Identify Odor Differences
When you receive the silicone, you can directly judge it by the smell of the silicone. Food-grade silicone has almost no odor. Even if you find it gives off a faint silicone smell, don’t worry. This is a normal phenomenon. On the contrary, ordinary silicone has a distinct plastic odor and is very difficult to dissipate.
To identify them more accurately, you can soak them in hot water for 5 minutes. If you find that the silicone still has no weird odor, it means it is food-grade silicone. But if you notice that the terrible odor of the silicone becomes stronger, it shows that it is just regular silicone.
Test Silicone Heat Resistance
If your silicone product needs to withstand high temperatures, then you must carefully examine the heat resistance of the silicone. Usually, food-grade silicone can tolerate temperatures ranging from -40℃ to 230℃. While regular silicone can be used normally within the temperature range of -30℃ to 150℃.
Therefore, to distinguish them, you can respectively put them in a 200℃ oven and heat them for 30 minutes. If it is food-grade silicone, you will find that it will not deform or become sticky. But if it is regular silicone, it cannot withstand such a high temperature and will quickly become soft and sticky. Even worse, it may give off an unpleasant smell.
Test Stretch & Rebound Resilience
You can also test whether the silicone is food-grade or regular by simply stretching it.
Food-grade silicone has excellent flexibility. Therefore, when you stretch it, you will find it much easier than stretching the regular silicone. At the same time, when food-grade silicone is stretched, it will not turn white or break. But regular silicone, due to its poor elasticity, is very prone to deformation or breaking.
In addition, the rebound resilience of regular silicone is far inferior to that of food-grade silicone. Food-grade silicone can quickly rebound. And even if you pull it many times, it can precisely return to its original position. This is something regular silicone cannot do.
Test Reusability & Durability
If your product needs to be reused, please check the silicone durability. You can repeatedly heat and boil your silicone and repeatedly stretch it. If after multiple repeated tests, the silicone does not show any deformation or damage, then it is a durable food-grade silicone.
However, if it cannot withstand repeated high temperatures or stretching, it will be brittle, hard, and quickly deform. And at the same time, it may give off a terrible smell, which means it is definitely the regular silicone.
Test Silicone Chemical Stability
If the silicone products need to be exposed to oils, acids, or alkali for a long time, you should also consider the chemical stability of the silicone.
You can immerse the silicone in edible oil or weakly acidic/alkaline solutions for 24 hours. Respectively, food-grade silicone will not expand or discolor. However, regular silicone is easily corroded by acids and alkalis, which will then accelerate the aging of the silicone.
Match Silicone Application
The application of food-grade silicone and regular silicone is very different.
Generally, food-grade silicone can be applied to products in close contact with food. For example, you can apply it to kitchenware, baby products, or food sealing components, etc.
However, for regular silicone, you cannot use it in these areas. This is because this type of silicone does not have food contact certification and can cause harm to the human body. Therefore, you can only apply it to automotive parts, electronic accessories, industrial sealing, etc.
Identify by Silicone Price
The price is also a way to help you differentiate between the regular silicone and food-grade silicone.
Food-grade silicone is more expensive because it uses better raw silicone. Its price is approximately $2.7 to $4.3 per kilogram. If the silicone supplier’s price is much lower than the normal price, the supplier may use regular silicone to pass off as food-grade silicone. So you can’t buy the silicone just because of its low price.
However, if you are in the industrial and electrical field, you can purchase the cheaper regular silicone. And its price is about $1.4 to $2.1 per kilogram. But you can’t apply it in the food industry, as it may violate the regulations.
Food-Grade silicone vs Regular Silicone
Here is a table that allows you to compare food-grade silicone and regular silicone at a glance.
| Comparison Item | Food-Grade Silicone | Regular Silicone |
| Raw Material Purity | High-purity raw silicone material, no impurities | Mixed recycled materials, low purity |
| Certifications | With FDA & LFGB food-grade certifications | No food-contact certifications, just quality inspection reports |
| Appearance & Texture | Transparent, smooth, clean surface | Dark, rough, with visible impurities and black spots |
| Odor | Almost odorless, no strange smell | Strong plastic odor, worse after heating |
| Heat Resistance | -40℃ ~ 230℃, high temperature stable | -30℃ ~ 150℃, poor heat resistance |
| Stretch & Rebound | Good flexibility, quick rebound, not easy to break | Poor elasticity, easier to whiten and crack |
| Reusability & Durability | Stable after repeated stretching and heating | Easier to age, deform, and degrade |
| Chemical Stability | Stable against oil, acid, and alkali | Easier to corrode and age |
| Application | Kitchenware, baby products, food-contact parts | Automotive, electronics, and industrial fields |
| Unit Price | $2.7 ~ $4.3 / kg | $1.4 ~ $2.1 / kg |
FAQ
Does Transparent Appearance Mean Real Food-Grade Silicone?
The transparent appearance does not mean that it is a real food-grade silicone. This is because some low-quality silicone is bleached to achieve a high-quality appearance. Therefore, you must carefully check if the silicone product has an official food contact test report. Only in this way can you ensure the safety of the silicone.
Will Food-Grade Silicone Release Toxins at High Temperatures?
If you heat qualified food-grade silicone to a temperature it can withstand, it will maintain stable performance. Therefore, during daily heating and baking, it will not release toxins. However, if you expose it to extremely high temperatures, it will inevitably age or break. And this may cause it to release toxins.
Can I Use Cleaned Regular Silicone for Food Products?
No, you can’t. Even after high-temperature cleaning, regular silicone still contains impurities and harmful substances inside. This is a problem with the material itself and cannot be eliminated through simple cleaning. Therefore, to avoid safety issues, you still cannot use it to produce food utensils, etc.
Why Is There a Huge Price Gap Between Different Suppliers’ Food-Grade Silicone?
This is mainly because the different food-grade silicone suppliers’ silicones are different in many aspects. This includes raw material quality, production processes, and so on.
Some bad food-grade silicone suppliers offer you low prices because they mix recycled silicone or inferior fillers. This will result in the quality of your silicone products being poor.
On the contrary, qualified food-grade silicone suppliers use brand-new pure raw materials. At the same time, they strictly control the quality and have passed safety certifications, so their prices may be higher. As a result, you need to be wary of very underpriced food-grade silicone.
How Can I Verify the Authenticity of Silicone Certification Reports?
Firstly, you can view the report information, which includes the testing institution, testing items, etc. Then, you can verify the information through an authoritative third-party institution.
If it is a formal FDA or LFGB report, you can trace its origin. However, if you find that the report cannot be verified, then the certification is fake. And this also means the silicone is not standard.
Final Thought
Knowing the differences between food-grade silicone and regular silicone can help you choose the right silicone for your business. If you want to purchase high-quality silicone products, do not miss Legensilico. We will provide you with professional services and excellent silicone products. Just contact us as soon as possible!
