Sealing materials for the food industry - Food safe seals

At Rehm Dichtungen Ehlers GmbH, sealing materials for the food industry include all materials that have FDA conformity or approval in accordance with EC 1935/2004. FDA conformity is the American approval for food contact. The EG 1935/2004 is the European equivalent. We have a range of different sealing materials for food contact. We use these to manufacture your food-safe gasket or flat gasket using our various production processes.

Regulations for use in the food industry

In the field of static seals, two regulations have emerged that govern their use in the food industry. The American FDA and the European EC No. 1935/2004 are directives that relate to materials or sealing materials that are intended to come into contact with food. Both FDA and EC 1935/2004 require formulation testing according to a positive list. For applications in the drinking water sector, however, other approvals are required, such as KTW or WRAS approval.

FDA conformity is required if the seals for the food industry are used in productions that produce, process, or import food for the US market. With the introduction of EC 1935/2004, FDA compliance is no longer required in the European area to be approved as a seal for food contact.

Available sealing materials for food contact at Rehm Dichtungen Ehlers GmbH

We, Rehm Dichtungen Ehlers GmbH, have a wide range of sealing materials that meet the required guidelines (FDA conformity or EC 1935/2004 approval). We can offer you food-safe gaskets or flat gaskets made of almost all material groups. If required, we can also equip the food-safe seals with a self-adhesive film for simplified assembly.

Elastomer and fiber gaskets

For gaskets or flat gaskets that contain a high proportion of rubber or that contain rubber as a binder, as is the case with our fiber gaskets, testing of the requirements is based on BfR Guideline XXI, which deals with rubber products in the food sector. In this context, BfR stands for the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. As is customary with EC 1935/2004, verification takes place with the aid of a formulation test based on a positive list. For FDA conformity, individual measure 177.2600 (rubbers) is applied to these sealing materials.

In addition to silicone, we can also offer you seals made of NBR and NR with FDA or EG1935/2004 approval from the manufacturer Semperit. In elastomers we have the following materials approved for food contact.

In the case of rubber-bonded fiber materials, we have a wide variety of materials from different suppliers.

PTFE seals

In the context of food-safe PTFE seals, which are to be assigned to the plastic seals, the individual measures 177.1550 (FDA) and EU NR. 10/2011 (EC 1935/2004) are used as a basis for FDA conformity and approval according to EC 1935/2004. In the case of EU No. 10/2011, both a formulation test based on a positive list and migration tests with various simulant media take place. At Rehm Dichtungen Ehlers GmbH, the following PTFE sealing materials for food contact are available for you.  

Application areas for food grade gaskets

Food-safe gaskets and seals for the food industry are used in all areas of the food industry where the highest quality and hygiene requirements are necessary. The flat and flange gaskets used are characterized by resistance to intensive cleaning processes as well as abrasion resistance, so that all requirements for tightness can be maintained over the long term. For these reasons, seals for the food industry are used in control units, hygienic control cabinets, and all machines and equipment in the food processing sector.

For the production of your seal for food contact, you can choose from our various materials, depending on the respective application. We will be happy to advise you on the choice of the right material for your food contact seal. For this purpose, please contact our customer service, which will provide you with comprehensive advice.

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1. what are food grade gaskets?
Food-safe seals are characterized by FDA conformity or approval in accordance with EC 1935/2004 and are authorized to come into contact with foodstuffs on the basis of these approvals. In the case of EC 1935/2004, the approval is checked by means of a formulation test taking into account a positive list.
2. in which forms can food-safe gaskets be obtained from Rehm Dichtungen?
We manufacture suitable seals for the food industry using a wide range of production processes - waterjet cutting, plotting and punching. In addition, you can purchase from us cut-to-size or unprocessed yard goods made of the food-safe sealing material.
3. what approvals or conformities must sealing materials for the food industry have?
To be understood as a food grade gasket material, the material must either be FDA compliant (American) or have EC 1935/2004 approval (European).
4. which sealing materials are suitable for food contact?
Food-safe seals can be found in almost all material groups. In the area of elastomers, selected NBR, NR and silicone seals are available. Various sealing materials from the fiber materials group are approved for the food industry, such as Novapress 850, AFM34 and Top Chem 2000. Finally, virgin PTFE and Novaflon guarantee food-safe properties.