Food Safe Printing - 2022
Hi,
I'm thinking of printing some cookie cutters as a gift and wanted to get some updated guidance around being 'food safe'.
From what i've found so far from older posts, PETG is a better option than PLA, and a stainless steel nozzle should be used.
Is this still correct / relevant and does anyone have any experience on printing food safe cookie cutters.
Thanks,
RE: Food Safe Printing - 2022
I guess PETG may be food safe if the manufacturer indicates this on the Product Safety Data Sheet. I don´t think that it would be acceptable to state that all PETG is food safe per se, irrespective of origin and quality.
For nozzles, I never thought about a "contamination" when using filament which is not particularly abrasive such as fiber-containing filament. There´s certainly others more knowledgable.
I try to give answers to the best of my ability, but I am not a 3D printing pro by any means, and anything you do you do at your own risk. BTW: I have no food for…
You are heating the filament way above pasteurisation temperature. Any bugs on the filament are fried.
So, your new print starts out sterile.
PLA and PETG are both regarded as food safe ... but the pigments used to colour them may not be.
Any fdm printed part has narrow crevices all over - once it has been used for food it is almost impossible to clean out all residues so the part becomes a perfect home for bacteria and it's subsequent use that's risky...
...and you cannot sterilise with heat as thermoplastic deforms first.
Nozzles do wear, slowly, in use and the particles do get encapsulated by the filament - but traditional kitchen implements wear too so perhaps you should view the copper pan in which you prepare your eggs with equal suspicion.
It's OK to take your own risks with food but perhaps this is not a good gift idea.
Cheerio,
RE: Food Safe Printing - 2022
If you want to create some special cookie cutter, for some special opportunity, I think it is save enough. Three rules. 1) crosscheck the datasheets of filament, the colour used can be unsafe. 2) Do not buy filaments from manufactures, who do not care about the safety and quality. 3) Use the cutters just once it is impossible to clean it. Print one, cut all cookies, put it to recycle bin (for PETG) or trash can (for PLA). Next time print the new one. The waste is not so big, cutters are quite light weight.
RE: Food Safe Printing - 2022
All you need to know:
https://blog.prusaprinters.org/how-to-make-food-grade-3d-printed-models_40666/
RE: Food Safe Printing - 2022
Thanks everyone for your replies.
Lots to read through and digest.