Durable FDA-Compliant Food Grade Polyurethane Products
PSI manufactures FDA compliant cast urethane products for food processing applications. These food safe urethanes are available from 30 Shore A to 90 Shore A in durometer all year, even in our most humid summer months. We manufacture urethane rings, gaskets, and custom-molded, food grade polyurethane parts for food processing applications. Chute liners, guides on conveyors, and capper rings for the bottling industry are just some examples of components that are required to be FDA compliant.
Types of Food Grade Polyurethanes
There are two different types of FDA material PSI Urethanes produces: FDA Wet and FDA Dry.
FDA Wet Food Approved Products
- Available in multiple shore A durometers (hardness)
- Colors: black, blue, dark blue, green, natural, peach, red, and white.
PSI certifies that all components used to produce your product are acceptable under:
CFR 21-177.1680 “Indirect food additives” – Intended for use in contact with bulk quantities of dry food that do not have free surface fats or oils: Polymers for 30 Shore A through 90 Shore A durometers (hardness)
FDA Wet Food Approved Products
- Available in multiple shore A durometers (hardness)
- Color: black, blue, dark blue, green, natural, peach, red, and white.
PSI certifies that all components used to produce your products are acceptable under:
CFR 21-177.2600 “Indirect food additives” – Aqueous food – Articles intended for repeated use in contact with food.
Common Food Grade Urethane Applications
So, what can you do with polyurethane? Here are some examples of FDA-approved urethane products we’ve manufactured for food handling and processing:
- Chute liners
- Conveyor guards
- Cutting surfaces
- Capper rings
- Gaskets
- Washers
- Sheets
- Rollers
Why Choose Polyurethane?
Polyurethane displays a wide selection of properties that can be customized to your exact application needs. These are just a few ways that we can fine tune specific features of your urethane part:
- Abrasion resistance (no flaking or shedding)
- Anti-microbial (food-safe formulation)
- Bonding
- Chemical resistance
- High and low temperature flexibility
- Wide range of hardness (durometer)
- Rebound
- Shock absorption
Ask Our Experts.
Contact us today to learn how we can meet your project’s requirements.
More About FDA Regulations on Food Processing Materials
The FDA established the Division of Food Contact Notification and Review within the Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), to help ensure components of food contact articles, including food packaging and processing equipment, are safe for their intended use.
The components of the food contact article must be listed within 21 CFR 174 through 179. Many polyurethane resins are cleared for use as food contact materials through a number of regulations in 21 CFR, which include specific requirements for the composition of polyurethane resins as well as limitations on their conditions of use.
Visit the Packaging & Food Contact Substances page on FDA.gov to learn more.
Overcoming Challenges of FDA Wet Urethane Manufacturing
FDA Wet urethanes have historically been difficult to produce in high-temperature, high-humidity environments. Wet food grade formulas tend to extract moisture from the surrounding air, creating air bubbles and voids that negatively impact the physical properties of the final product. For this reason, many polyurethane manufacturers will not produce food grade products throughout the warmer months, even if they are located in a region with a milder climate than what we have here in Texas. At PSI Urethanes, we’ve created formulations that give us the ability to manufacture wet food grade polyurethane products all year, giving us the ability to meet our customers’ needs exactly when others can’t.
Typical Properties of Wet Food Grade Formulas
*Please note that wet food approved urethane can be used for wet or dry applications. Dry food only approved formulations available as well.
| Durometer (ASTM D2240) | 40A | 60A | 70A | 88A |
| Type | MDI | MDI | MDI | MDI |
| Rebound, % (ASTM D2632) | 66% | 63% | 53% | 66% |
| Tensile Strength (ASTM D412) | 2187 PSI | 2653 PSI | 2692 PSI | 4100 PSI |
| 100% Modulus (ASTM D412) | 160 PSI | 283 PSI | 596 PSI | 1250 PSI |
| 300% Modulus (ASTM D412) | 229 PSI | 546 % | 1505 PSI | 2450 PSI |
| Elongation, % (ASTM D412) | 639% | 482% | 358% | 430% |
| Die-C Tear, pli (ASTM D624) | 102 PLI | 158 PLI | 241 PLI | 410 PLI |
| Trouser Tear, PLI (ASTM D1938) | 50 PLI | 27 PLI | 33 PLI | Not Available |
| Split Tear, pli (ASTM D470) | 21 PLI | 13 PLI | 32 PLI | 90 PLI |
| Taber Abrasion (mg loss/revolution) | 0.0122 | .0000 | .0006 | Not Available |
| Compression Set, 22 hrs @ 70°C (ASTM D395) | 30% | 3% | 16% | 15% |
More About FDA Regulations on Food Processing Materials
The FDA established the Division of Food Contact Notification and Review within the Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), to help ensure components of food contact articles, including food packaging and processing equipment, are safe for their intended use.
The components of the food contact article must be listed within 21 CFR 174 through 179. Many polyurethane resins are cleared for use as food contact materials through a number of regulations in 21 CFR, which include specific requirements for the composition of polyurethane resins as well as limitations on their conditions of use.
Visit the Packaging & Food Contact Substances page on FDA.gov to learn more.
Overcoming Challenges of FDA Wet Urethane Manufacturing
FDA Wet urethanes have historically been difficult to produce in high-temperature, high-humidity environments. Wet food grade formulas tend to extract moisture from the surrounding air, creating air bubbles and voids that negatively impact the physical properties of the final product. For this reason, many polyurethane manufacturers will not produce food grade products throughout the warmer months, even if they are located in a region with a milder climate than what we have here in Texas. At PSI Urethanes, we’ve created formulations that give us the ability to manufacture wet food grade polyurethane products all year, giving us the ability to meet our customers’ needs exactly when others can’t.
Typical Properties of Wet Food Grade Formulas
*Please note that wet food approved urethane can be used for wet or dry applications. Dry food only approved formulations available as well.
| Durometer (ASTM D2240) | 40A | 60A | 70A | 88A |
| Type | MDI | MDI | MDI | MDI |
| Rebound, % (ASTM D2632) | 66% | 63% | 53% | 66% |
| Tensile Strength (ASTM D412) | 2187 PSI | 2653 PSI | 2692 PSI | 4100 PSI |
| 100% Modulus (ASTM D412) | 160 PSI | 283 PSI | 596 PSI | 1250 PSI |
| 300% Modulus (ASTM D412) | 229 PSI | 546 % | 1505 PSI | 2450 PSI |
| Elongation, % (ASTM D412) | 639% | 482% | 358% | 430% |
| Die-C Tear, pli (ASTM D624) | 102 PLI | 158 PLI | 241 PLI | 410 PLI |
| Trouser Tear, PLI (ASTM D1938) | 50 PLI | 27 PLI | 33 PLI | Not Available |
| Split Tear, pli (ASTM D470) | 21 PLI | 13 PLI | 32 PLI | 90 PLI |
| Taber Abrasion (mg loss/revolution) | 0.0122 | .0000 | .0006 | Not Available |
| Compression Set, 22 hrs @ 70°C (ASTM D395) | 30% | 3% | 16% | 15% |
Recommended Reads
There are many areas in the food industry that require FDA compliant material. Urethanes that are used as the surface layer and guides on conveyors, tubing…
Many industries are turning to urethane parts and products for a variety of applications. Polyurethane products deliver many unique …
