Food safety and plastic cable ties

Cable tie guide

When working with food, the use of food-safe materials is of great importance. If you plan to have plastic cable ties come into contact with food, this article may help you choose the right cable ties. For food packaging or utensils, a specific material is often used: polypropylene. Since this material does not contain certain softening agents required for other types of plastic, polypropylene is generally considered safe, even when in prolonged contact with food. This is because its low hygroscopy and high resistance to chemicals result in minimal or no exchange of chemicals when in contact with other substances. The food safety of polypropylene can only be guaranteed if the cable ties used are made solely from this material and contain no other additives. Therefore, we recommend using white polypropylene cable ties for direct exposure to food.

Nylon cable ties and food – are they compatible?

Polyamide 6.6 (nylon) can only be used in contact with food under certain conditions. It is more commonly found in kitchen utensils that are not permanently exposed to high temperatures. Safe use can only be guaranteed at temperatures below 200°C. Just like in regards to polypropylene, this guideline applies only if it is pure polyamide 6.6. To get a rough idea of a plastic's chemical resistance, tests can be conducted at home. First, the plastic is submerged in a container of distilled water for an extended period of time. Afterwards, the water can be tested for harmful chemicals using a commercially available testing kit.