As a supplier of packaging products across a wide variety of industries, our FlexSack experts are frequently asked about food grade bulk bags. When discussing food grade bags, it’s important to determine exactly what level of “food graded-ness” fits the end user’s application.

Most bulk bags are produced to an industry-standard known as “Industrial Grade.” These bags are produced under the standard production process with no additional measures being taken to prevent the chance of loose material or contaminants from the production processes, such as thread or PP flakes being present in the finished bag.

The next step up from an Industrial Grade FIBC is “Clean Room Manufactured.” These bags are manufactured in a controlled environment and undergo additional processes to reduce the likelihood of contaminants being present in the finished bag. These additional processes include air washing, vacuum cleanout, light table inspection, metal detection, and ultrasonic cutting. Generally, these additional cleaning steps are specified per the application.

As is with every bag FlexSack supplies, both Industrial Grade and Clean Room Manufactured FIBCs meet the requirements set forth under USA FDA 21 CFR Part 110.3, FDA:CFR Title 21,177.1520, and IS 10910 for packaging materials intended to come into contact with human food. Therefore, in a generalized sense, these bags can be considered food grade. For more information, see our food safety statement.

The highest level of “food grade” bags, FIBCs, are produced in third party audited and certified production facilities, meeting global standards such as American Institute of Baking (AIB), British Retail Consortium (BRC), and ISO22000. Under these certifications, rigorous environmental standards and manufacturing processes are followed to ensure that these bags uphold the highest standards for food cleanliness in the packaging of food products.

Reference the below chart for measures taken at each level of food safety to ensure the right product is delivered for the specified application.

If you have any questions about the various levels of food grade bulk bags and how they relate to your application, please do not hesitate to contact one of our FlexSack experts today.