Food Grade Silicone Tubing

Food grade silicone is a long-lasting, durable material that serves as a healthier, more inert alternative to plastics for use in food and beverage applications. The lack of plasticizers in silicone allows for far less leaching of BPA and other harmful chemicals into food and liquids, while also preventing taste and odors from being imparted to the food or beverage it contacts. Silicone is resilient, nonporous, and has a broad temperature range making it an ideal food storage and transport solution to combat single-use plastics.

Vanguard manufactures food grade silicone using highly precise, cost-effective processes under a quality management system certified to ISO 9001:2015 by TUV Rheinland North America. We use our in-house operations and custom compound formulations to create silicone products, making us a one-stop shop for food grade silicone extrusions, silicone tubing, and molded products.

How Safe Is Food Grade Silicone?

Our food grade silicone products conform to the FDA’s 21CFR177.2600 standard, which regulates materials used in food contact applications, including food processing, packaging, and preparation.

Our FDA grade silicone is specially finished and non-marking to prevent contamination and is able to withstand temperatures ranging from -103°F to 450°F. To ensure that we have proper ingredients for food and beverage applications, we procure raw materials from the most reliable sources, and we tightly control the compounding and formulation processes by handling them in-house.

For commercial food contact applications, we offer the extra assurance of compounds that have been certified by NSF International to their Standard 51 (NSF/ANSI 51-2017). This ensures that the material meets minimum public health and sanitation guidelines for materials used in the construction of commercial food equipment.

FDA Grade/Food Grade Silicone: Common Applications

Dairy Transport Tubing

Vanguard has several compounds that have passed requirements required in the most stringent dairy industry standards. These compounds can withstand the daily wear and tear for applications in transporting dairy products and the harsh cleaning chemicals they are exposed to.

High and Low Temperature Silicone Tubing

Silicone’s ability to perform well over a wide temperature range along with its durability and flexibility make it a top material to use when manufacturing high-temperature tubing, which food processors use to dispense and mix food/beverage products. Silicone’s nontoxic qualities as well as its temperature and tear resistance mean that it won’t melt or otherwise contaminate edible products in high-temperature environments. Silicone remains flexible down to -100F, making it ideal for below freezing applications as well.

Benefits of Food Grade Silicone Tubing

Food grade silicone is a convenient material for constructing tough and durable food grade components. Some of the specific benefits of choosing food grade silicone over other plastics include:

• Damage Resistance. Food grade silicone can withstand extreme temperatures without damage and degradation.
• Durable. Food grade silicone won’t harden, peel, crack, dry out, crumble, rot, or become brittle over time.
• Tolerates High and Low Temperatures. Food grade silicone can withstand temperatures ranging from -103°F to 450°F.
• NSF-51 Certification. The NSF-51 certification establishes the requirements for third-party testing and ensures plastic products are safe for food use.
• Non-toxic and Odorless. The material is odorless and contains no BPA, lead, latex, or phthalates.
• Environmentally Friendly. Food grade silicone is considered non-hazardous waste.

FDA Grade/Food Grade Silicone Tubing From Vanguard Also Available At:

Commercial Food Equipment Seals And Fluid Transfer

Vanguard has taken the extra step of submitting several formulations to NSF International, the most trusted name in commercial food safety, for their evaluation and certification. NSF International is an accredited, independent organization that tests, audits, and certifies products and systems in food and water processing based on their safety and impact on human health. Currently, Vanguard has 11 compounds which are certified to ANSI/NSF Standard 51 for Food Equipment Materials, with more being added.

Silicone Tubing Constructed Of NSF-51 Listed Materials From Vanguard Also Available At:

Other Applications of Food-Grade Silicone

These are just a few of the many uses silicone enjoys in the food and beverage processing industry. Other applications for silicone products include:

• Commercial ovens
• Drink tubing
• Small appliance tubing and seals
• Water purification tubing
• Water filtration system seals
• Dairy fluid-handling tubing and seals

Capabilities and Ranges for Food Grade Silicone Products

Elastomeric Molding

• Single, Coextrusion, and Tri-Extrusion capability
• Multi-Lumen Extrusion
• Multiple Durometer/Hardness
• Multiple Material/Color Extrusion
• Insert Extrusion
• 0.010 inch to 3 inch Plus
• Custom Formulation for Mechanical Properties, Chemical Resistance, and Temperature Resistance; and Color Matching
• Cutting from 0.010” Thick to Unlimited
• Bonding
• O-Ring Fabrication
• Thin Walled
• Special Put-Ups
• Special Packaging

Materials for Food Grade Silicone Products

There are many varieties of elastomers used for gaskets, seals, and tubing in the food prep industry that can be formulated to comply to FDA food contact requirements, including:

• Nitrile. Nitrile is used for a wide range of food industry applications with temperatures ranging from -20°F to 150°F as well as applications that employ grease and oils.
• Neoprene. Neoprene is resistant to abrasion and oils.
• Food Grade Silicone. FDA silicone can handle low and high temperatures from -100°F to 450°F. It stays flexible and durable in any environment and can be formulated to resist damage from fats, oils, and other food chemicals.
• EPDM. Food grade EPDM can be used for gaskets and surfaces in any food prep environment.

Material Application/Compatibility Guidelines

Vanguard utilizes various grades and varieties of silicone to manufacture custom food-grade products in an extensive range of applications, industries and specific environments. If you are not sure which material is best for your application, please contact one of our application specialists today to assist you.

Part Number Cross Reference For Food Grade Silicone Tubing

Why Choose Vanguard Products for Food Grade Silicone

At Vanguard Products Corporation, we handle food grade silicone manufacturing and engineering projects from start to finish. We use specially selected raw products to produce FDA-compliant gaskets and other food processing components. For over 50 years, our team has provided high-precision, high-quality, domestic products. For more information, contact us or request a quote today.

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