Q&A for How to Identify Food Grade Buckets

Food grade and commercial food grade serve distinct purposes. While it is possible to store food in various types of plastic containers, increased awareness of the potential adverse effects of BPA has led to a preference for stainless steel in food-grade applications. Stainless steel containers for food must be seamless without any creases or corners that could trap food particles, making them easy to clean. In the context of commercial use, it's essential to avoid sharp corners and creases where food can get stuck, ensuring easy cleaning and maintenance. The emphasis in commercial food-grade containers is on rounded edges and seamless construction, eliminating welding joints, and facilitating a thorough cleaning process. Therefore, the criteria for food grade and commercial food grade differ to meet specific cleanliness and hygiene standards.

Not necessarily. While HDPE plastics are typically food safe, they are sometimes rendered unsafe during the recycling process or with the addition of certain dyes. Objects made with HDPE plastics have to be evaluated for food safety on a case-by-case basis, so check the product specifications before using an HDPE bucket for food.

You can purchase food grade buckets at Home Depot (such as the 5 Gallon White Pail), but the standard orange “Homer Bucket” is not rated for food. Always check the product specifications before using any bucket to store food.

Food grade buckets must be made of plastics that are safe for contact with food and won’t contaminate the food with toxic chemicals on contact. In order for a container to be food grade, it must also be able to hold up to specific food-related uses—for instance, if a bucket or other container is intended to hold hot foods, the plastic has to be able to withstand high temperatures without melting or releasing toxins. Non-food grade buckets aren’t necessarily made of materials that are safe for direct contact with food.

A 3 indicates the bucket is made from V or PVC (vinyl). These are food-safe, as this plastic is used in some food packaging, but it is not safe if you plan on heating food in it.

It depends on how long ago it was since it was used to store anti-freeze, but just to be safe, I wouldn't recommend doing this. If you absolutely have to, then make sure to thoroughly wash the drum several times with soap and water.

Yes, that is safe.

No. Boiling water can extract dangerous chemicals from the pp-plastic. It is safer to use metal or hardened glass jugs for boiling water.

It would. If the plant becomes too big for the bucket, consider moving it.

If the barrel is thoroughly cleaned and rinsed first, it should be fine. There should not be any chemical residue.

I recommend glass. You can find inexpensive glass carboys and airlocks on Amazon to use for fermenting.

It depends on how your container reacts towards the substance. BPA-free bottles can hold many substances, but water may tend to leak.

Yes, you can use 5 gallon buckets, but make sure they're food grade. Ensure whatever weight you're using is also food grade quality.

I use high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is indicated by the "2" symbol. The label on the bucket when I bought it stated that it is food grade.

As long as your bucket was washed well with soap and water, storing food in bags should be okay.

Use white buckets, as you won't need to worry about added dyes. Always check the bottom of the bucket to make sure it is food safe.

Do not brine turkey in any old plastic bucket as it can leach toxins. If using cool water, you can use a number 5 in a triangle indicated on the bottom of the bucket, but not if you are using a brine with boiling water. Know what the numbers mean. Some numbers are good for dry goods storage but not liquid and vice versa.

Yes, but there is a limit on the number of days dough can be stored. Your recipe or a like-kind recipe can help you determine the number of safe days to store dough. Bread dough, cookie dough, or pie crust dough have various storage needs and lengths. Cookie dough and pie crust dough can be safely frozen until needed, for example.