What’s the Best Food Grade of Stainless Steel?
What is food-grade stainless steel?
Simply put, food grade stainless steel is a metal that can be safely used for food preparation or storage of food. In the food industry, stainless steel is exposed to heat, water and harsh cleaning chemicals. Therefore, food grade stainless steel must remain durable, corrosion free, and easily sterilized. In addition, food-grade stainless steel will not change the taste or color of food, will not contaminate food, and provides a strong guarantee of maintaining food safety through easy and effective cleaning and sanitizing.
Common types of food-grade stainless steel
Almost all food-grade stainless steel is manufactured from: 300-series and 400-series. With 300-series commonly including grades 304 and 316, and 400-series primarily using grade 430.
Grade 304 Stainless Steel
This is the most commonly used food grade stainless steel on the market today. It is most commonly used for handling dairy products, beer and other sanitary work. Examples include stainless steel lunch boxes and stainless steel mugs as we know them.
Grade 316 Stainless Steel
Grade 316 is the ideal food grade steel for almost any application. It has high resistance to alkalis, acids and chlorides (e.g., salts) and does not cause corrosion because it contains more elemental nickel than comparable products. It also has excellent resistance to high temperatures, beyond those normally required for food processing. Typically children's products, such as lunch boxes and mugs for children, will be made of 316 grade stainless steel.
Grade 430 Stainless Steel
Grade 430 stainless steel is an excellent, low-cost alternative to 300 series steel grades and is best suited for applications that need more moderately-resistant steel. While it is very similar to the popular 316 grade, it contains only a fraction of the nickel content, which makes it less corrosion resistant, but also less expensive.
Which stainless steel is best for food applications?
Overall, grade 316 is generally a better choice for making food-grade stainless steel containers. 316 is more chemically-resistant in a variety of applications, especially when handling salt and strongly acidic compounds such as lemon or tomato juice. In addition, 316 food stainless steel is more insulating, in the case of these two insulated mugs, the same temperature water stored in the insulated mug in the same environment, 316 stainless steel insulated mug can keep it warm for a longer period of time. However, 316 grade stainless steel tends to be more expensive, and in daily life, people prefer to use 304 grade stainless steel products.
