What does the term "food grade" mean to you ?

[Shaolin]

No Googling, no quotes, no data.

Just what do you think when you read this term ? What assumption do you make about the substance ?

That a compound is safe to ingest ?

That a compound is safe to handle with bare hands ?

That a compound is somehow "safer" than for instance naptha ?

...

Please provide us with you answers. They can be short, long, medium, etc just make them yours. This is not a pop quiz but a poll (yet without options) thread since this term is gaining on popularity.

Thank you.

 

[biopsylo]

to me it means more than safe to handle. calling something food grade means (to me) that small amounts can be consumed without ill effects.

yes, NaOH is available "food grade" but i would not put a speck in my mouth!!

while with lime, d-limo, fumaric---no prob, go ahead and lick your fingers!!:d

 

[SnozzleBerry]

Food Grade is the minimum standard for substances permitted to be in contact with food.

There is no point to making a "poll" on the meaning of this word as it already has a meaning and definition and this is what the term "Food Grade" refers to when a product is labelled as such.

Creating a poll for a new/alternative meaning within the community strikes me as a poor decision as the term means what it has already been defined as and is applied as such. This means that even though individuals such as biopsylo may decide that "food grade" means that "small amounts may be consumed without ill efects", this is simply not true and fails to have any relevance to a company labeling a product as "food safe".

As people have already demonstrated in various posts (such as assuming that food grade bases are safe for use with bare hands) there is a potential for harm if we allow such multiple/incorrect definitions to exist. Simply put, Food Grade is an already defined term that is applied to products in accordance with its definition. As such, it is nonsensical to attempt to redefine it as we are consumers of Food Grade products, not producers, so whatever we may want it to mean is fairly irrelevant.

 

[Virola78]

Let's redefine it from scratch.. and put 'food safety' next to it.

It could prevent treacherous mistakes. Like burning hands on lime.

 

[Xt]

To me it means products that are sold under basic regulations for quality / purity / safety with preparation of food in mind. Like Lime for use in Pretzel making... that has been guaranteed free from contams that may harm.
Tho may not be suitable.... foods.

Om nom nom.

 

[biopsylo]

Creating a poll for a new/alternative meaning within the community strikes me as a poor decision as the term means what it has already been defined as and is applied as such. This means that even though individuals such as biopsylo may decide that "food grade" means that "small amounts may be consumed without ill efects", this is simply not true and fails to have any relevance to a company labeling a product as "food safe".

although i agree with what you are saying, to a point, i was humoring the OP, and gave my OPINION on what the term means to me. i am not defining or attempting to redefine the term.

 

[SnozzleBerry]

Creating a poll for a new/alternative meaning within the community strikes me as a poor decision as the term means what it has already been defined as and is applied as such. This means that even though individuals such as biopsylo may decide that "food grade" means that "small amounts may be consumed without ill efects", this is simply not true and fails to have any relevance to a company labeling a product as "food safe".

although i agree with what you are saying, to a point, i was humoring the OP, and gave my OPINION on what the term means to me. i am not defining or attempting to redefine the term.

Yea, I hear you...I didn't mean to attack you (and I certainly hope I didn't come across as attacking you, if I did, I'm very sorry) I was just using your post as an example of potential problems I see with this. Personally, it seems that these types of threads (where someone wishes to redefine or contest a term already in existence and over which we have very little control) pop up from time to time and people humor them, and life goes on unpreturbed...I dunno why today was different, something inside me just riled up and said "PLEASE DON'T HUMOR THIS BIZARRE REQUEST!" but in all honesty that probably has more to do with me and the fact that it's a grey, freezing day, there's snow all over the ground and I had no desire to be cooped up in an office all day.