Food safe filament?

A piece of my Nanofoamer broke and I found a model for 3d printing online. However, is there a filament which is food safe and that can be exposed to temperaturea of 60+ ° C?

Thank you

Yes and no. There are filaments that advertise “safe for contact with food”. That does not mean food safe per se.

The distinction matters. If you’re looking for something that is let’s say disposable such as a single use cup, utensil or container, food safe contact means that there are no toxins or carcinogens that might leach into the food.

However, if you mean something you can print and reuse, then the answer to that question is more complicated. Since FDM print lays down fine layers, there are thousands of microcracks where bacteria can build up. The same is true of raw porcelain which is why it is a requirement for all food grade porcelain to have some type of sealant or glaze.

Having said that. I have seen forum discussions where the part was later coated with a food safe lacquer or enamel.

For 60C survivability, I am unaware of anything in PETG, ASA, PC or ABS that would be considered food safe. But there are numerous PLA sources.

Example filament:

Example coating material for PLA. This stuff ain’t cheap!!!

If you’re really bored and/or having trouble sleeping, here’s the regulation in the US that covers what is food safe:

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Unfortunately it might just be more economical to buy a new Nanofoamer. :roll_eyes:

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I heard filament companies discussing about making food safe filament, but they said the main problem is even if they get the filament certified, every model that you make would also have to be certified again, if you are in a country that requires such a thing. Most PLA and PETG filament would practically be food safe, just regarding the material alone.

One of the problems are the notches along at the layer lines and give bacteria space to grow, and are hard to clean, which makes it hard to make a 3D printed food safe item without coating it.

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Very interesting, thank you! I will look into it.

Bacteria growth can be a lesser problem for a home user like me (where I dont have to ensure a level of cleanliness for customers). So a basic material which is not leaching toxic plastics may be enough for me.

Epoxy resin coating is also interesting although indeed very expensive (the original spare part from Subminimal is around 3 USD :smiley:, but we are here for the challenge, not for the savings right ? :joy:).

Also, thanks for the reference to the US legislation, that is an interesting piece of information (I work as a regulator but in a different field).

Thank you! :folded_hands:t2:

Indeed. I am also negotiating to get the spare part (which costs 1/10 of the shipping costs :joy:)

Thank you. This makes me think indeed I could use a PLA/PETG filament and accept the (minor) risk of bacterial growth, for personal use.