Which steels can we class as food grade?

We are a business that adapts tubes for use in a number of industries. However, we don’t supply just any old product. What our team does is use a series of specialist techniques to alter the tubing so that it matches your needs. One of our many talents is tube reduction. We achieve tight tolerances and ensure the ends of the tubes are the perfect size.

Stainless steel is one of the most popular materials in food and beverage applications. Depending on the grade you choose, they can offer many useful benefits. This can include low chemical resistance and corrosion protection.

Stainless steel and food processing

Most of the tubing in food contact equipment and containers is stainless steel. Typically they are either 304 or 316 type austenitic grades. It’s also possible to use the 430 type steel for enclosures, housings, and splashbacks. These are instances where corrosion resistance demands aren’t as strict.

There are high strength duplex steels too. This is in addition to the non-hardenable ferritic and austenitic variations. These include grades 1.4462 and 1.4362, which come in handy for warm conditions where there’s a danger of stress corrosion cracking.

One question people typically ask is whether 316 stainless steel is the only one classed as food grade. While they are the most widely used, there is no official categorisation. Therefore, depending on your application, the equally recurring 1.4016 and 1.4301 might be fitting for food handling and processing. Bear in mind that in universal terms, you can take the corrosion resistance ranking brackets as 316 types > 304 types > 430 types.

At Multiform Tubes, we have extensive experience and can work with various top calibre materials. The tubes we adapt will have a distinct level of appearance, durability, and strength. We take great care with every service, from tube reduction to bending and ring rolling. As a result we achieve excellent results.

If you aren’t sure about what kind of solution suits your needs the best, get in touch with us today. We’ll discuss each option in detail and determine if it’s the right one to use.