Food & Dairy Grade O-ring Materials

What are Food and Dairy Grade Materials?

• Food and dairy grade materials are specifically designed and manufactured to be in direct contact with food and dairy products. These materials must meet stringent regulations and guidelines to ensure they do not contaminate the products they come into contact with and maintain the highest standards of safety and quality.

Common Considerations

• Food Safety: The primary concern in the food and dairy industry is safety. Materials used must not introduce any harmful substances into the products. Ensuring food safety is paramount to protect consumers.

• Hygiene and Cleanability: Materials must be easy to clean and sanitize to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Smooth, non-porous surfaces are preferred to minimize the risk of contamination.

• Resistance to Chemicals: Food processing often involves the use of various chemicals for cleaning and processing. Materials should be resistant to these chemicals to maintain their integrity.

• Temperature Resistance: In dairy and food processing, materials may be exposed to extreme temperatures. Materials should be able to withstand these temperature fluctuations without deteriorating.

• Compliance with Regulatory Standards: Adherence to industry-specific regulations and certifications is essential. Materials should meet the standards set by organizations such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and NSF International.

Key Standards

• FDA CFR 21.177.2600: Canyon Components offers an array of FDA compliant materials that can be used to manufacture standard parts like O-rings and sanitary seals, as well as custom parts of any geometry. The specification typically used to define Canyon elastomers compliance to FDA standards is FDA CFR 21.177.2600 sections A, B, C, D, E, & F depending on the use case of the final component.

• Dry Foods (A-D): This section of CFR 21.177.2600 describes the regulations and the composition necessary for rubber O-rings, gaskets, & custom molded articles intended for repeated use in applications involving dry foods. It defines ingredients that are allowed in the production process of rubber parts, O-rings, gaskets, & custom molded parts.

• Aqueous Foods (A-E): Section E of CFR 21.177.2600 describes the extractable limitations under specific conditions of rubber O-rings, gaskets, & custom molded articles intended for use in applications where the articles contact aqueous foods.

• Fatty Foods (A-F): Section F of CFR 21.177.2600 describes the extractable limitations under specific conditions of rubber O-rings, gaskets, & custom molded articles intended for use in applications where the articles contact fatty foods.

• 3A Sanitary Standards: Canyon offers many materials manufactured to 3-A sanitary requirements. The USDA 3-A Sanitary Standards maintains design criteria for equipment and processing systems designed to promote acceptance of products by the USDA, FDA, and state regulatory bodies.

• NSF 51: NSF 51 compliant Canyon Components materials are also commonly used in​ the food manufacturing industry. This certification defines the requirements necessary in manufacturing plastics and rubbers that are used in various food equipment and food contact applications. NSF has based these requirements on certain FDA regulations.

• EU Regulation 1935/2004: The EU 1935/2004 regulation is a key piece of legislation regarding materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. Parts that are compliant with this regulation must meet specific criteria to ensure they are safe for food contact. These parts are typically made from materials that do not release harmful substances into the food, maintaining the food's quality and safety. The regulation covers a wide range of materials, including plastics, ceramics, glass, metals, and paper. EU 1935/2004 compliant parts are designed to withstand the conditions of their intended use, such as temperature changes and cleaning processes, without degrading or affecting the food product.