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Every component used in food and agriculture is governed by strict FDA regulations and unforgiving operating conditions. Food-grade polyurethane is engineered for exactly that environment. It combines FDA-compliant formulations with the durability, flexibility, and abrasion resistance needed for harvesting, conveying, and food processing equipment. From protecting delicate produce to lining high-velocity conveyors and forming sanitary cutting surfaces, these materials deliver long service life without compromising food safety.
PSI Urethanes supplies FDA-approved polyurethane formulations designed specifically for agricultural and food-processing applications, helping manufacturers reduce downtime, extend component life, and maintain full regulatory compliance across wet and dry food contact operations.
The FDA classifies and certifies two different types of food grade polyurethane products: FDA Wet, and FDA Dry. Each type has its own particular use cases and corresponding FDA classifications.
FDA Wet Food Approved urethanes are used for any type of wet food product. This includes not only liquids like milk and juices, but also meats, poultry, and fish. For this reason, FDA Wet urethanes are used primarily in the meat industry. Our FDA Wet food grade polyurethanes are available in durometers from 30 Shore A to 90 Shore A, and a few of our standard colors. We certify all components used to produce your products are acceptable under CFR 21-177.1680.
On the other hand, FDA Dry Food Approved urethanes are used in applications of harvesting and processing dry food items like flour, sugar, oats, and rice. These food safe urethanes are available from 40 Shore A to 90 Shore A in durometer. We certify that all components used to produce your products are acceptable under CFR 21-177.2600.
To learn more about FDA Classifications and Compliance, you can visit their website.
When it comes to cultivating crops, there are countless ways to use food safe urethanes.
Enhancing agricultural machinery is just one of the ways food safe polyurethanes can showcase their versatility. Where plastic, rubber, and metal parts may be more commonly used, a food grade polyurethane part can get the same job done better for longer.
Food safe urethanes have higher strength, flexibility, and wear resistance across the board compared to other materials. This makes them the preferred choice for machinery components like bumpers, wheels, mounts, and more.
This applies to not just replacement parts, but also to reviving parts that have seen lots of wear and tear from repeated use. Just like our other formulations, our food grade polyurethanes can be bonded to practically any surface including plastics and metals. This can be useful for extending the life of a part that you already own, or protecting a brand new part to elongate its use even further.
Unlike other materials, food safe urethanes display a high resistance to abrasive chemicals. This makes them uniquely suited to field sprayer applications, which spray pesticides and herbicides over fields of crops to protect them from natural hazards.
Guard the blades of your cultivator, reduce the weight of your plow, or make your harrows more efficient by upgrading them with food grade polyurethane components.
While urethane products do have their use in the cultivation of crops, our food safe urethane products are best utilized in harvesting produce and processing food products.
Similar to the machines used to cultivate crops, harvesting machines can also be equipped with urethane parts. Food safe urethanes play the biggest role in uses where parts are making direct contact with produce and food products.
Harvesters, for example, can be outfitted with urethane parts to extend tool life and improve performance.
Food grade polyurethanes are also largely used as liners for produce containers. For example, our food grade polyurethane sheets can be used to line wagon beds that transport produce from one area to another.
Other parts that make direct contact with produce during the harvesting process like scraper blades can be bonded to a food safe urethane or replaced with a urethane part altogether.
Most of all, food grade polyurethanes find their use in the transportation and processing of produce and food products.
As with harvesting, food safe polyurethane liners are incredibly useful in food processing and transportation. Many crops, especially grains, are transported through tubes, chutes, and conveyors at high velocities.
Food safe urethanes have superior sliding abrasion resistance to other elastomeric materials and metals, so a urethane liner can significantly increase the life of any transportation channel. They can also result in great cost savings overall, as just the liner will need to be replaced over time instead of the whole part. Alternatively, most parts can be replaced entirely by a food safe urethane version.
Food safe urethane rollers play a major role in food processing. These rollers are used on all kinds of conveyor belts to transport food products from one processing station to the next.
Cutting surfaces are frequently covered with food grade polyurethane sheets as well. These sheets act as a hygienic cutting surface that displays self-healing properties. They are robust enough to withstand repeated use, but gentle enough to drastically reduce cutting tool wear and consequently save costs.
It is paramount to use FDA approved polyurethane in these applications to maintain healthy sanitation levels throughout processing and transportation operations. Especially in FDA wet applications, which typically involve meats, using the proper materials is key to minimizing product contamination.
PSI Urethanes has the expertise to develop the right food safe urethane for your application, and the FDA approval to back up our products. Contact us today to get a quote for your urethane needs!
Since 1966, through our own independent research and activity in the Polyurethane Manufacturers Association, PSI Urethanes has stayed on the leading edge of urethane technology – including developing advances in new materials, comprehensive designs, and processing technologies. Today we are among the most respected and trusted suppliers of custom polyurethane products.
We operate from our 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, which houses an extensive stock of polyurethane products. Our fully equipped manufacturing facility includes a versatile range of processing machinery, which allows us to work on unique, one-of-a-kind projects, as well as high volume components. Our in-house engineering, tooling, and custom mold shop, produces custom and stock production orders with exceptionally fast turn-around times. From conception to prototyping, to final production runs, our technical representatives and design engineers will work closely with your staff to meet your critical tolerances and specifications. You are guaranteed to receive experienced, professional, and personalized service from the first contact through your on-time delivery, with complete confidentiality and dedication to protecting your good name.
Food-grade polyurethane is an FDA-compliant urethane material used for parts that may contact food during harvesting, conveying, or processing. Common uses include liners for chutes and conveyors, rollers, scraper blades, wagon-bed liners, and sanitary cutting surfaces.
FDA Wet urethanes are intended for wet food contact (including liquids and products like meat, poultry, and fish) and are commonly tied to CFR 21-177.1680. FDA Dry urethanes are intended for dry food contact (like flour, sugar, oats, and rice) and are commonly tied to CFR 21-177.2600.
Food-grade polyurethane offers excellent abrasion resistance, flexibility, and durability—often extending component life in high-wear areas like high-velocity conveying and repeated contact points. It can also be bonded as a liner/coating to protect existing parts and reduce downtime.
Yes. Food-safe polyurethane can often be bonded to compatible substrates (commonly metals and certain plastics) as a liner or coating to restore worn components or protect new parts, extending service life in demanding agricultural environments.
