A Deep Dive into Silicone & Food Safety
At Innobaby, one of our many passions is giving you products that are not only functional, easy to use, and easy to clean but that are also safe and non-toxic for your family to use. Some lower-grade plastic products are notorious for being full of toxins such as BPA, which can be harmful to children—especially when it comes to using it for food storage, like lunch boxes. As such, there’s been a huge rise in the use of silicone products for food storage since it is naturally non-toxic and has a ton of other useful benefits. However, there is even more of a differentiator between food-grade silicone and platinum silicone. Keep reading to get a deep dive into silicone and food safety and why we choose platinum silicone at Innobaby. Don't miss out on the exclusive coupon code in this blog!
Platinum Silicone vs Food Grade Silicone
In case you missed our previous blog about platinum silicone, let’s take a quick look at what the difference between platinum silicone and food-grade silicone is.
Platinum silicone:
Platinum silicone is a type of silicone that uses only platinum (precious metal) as a catalyzer, which increases its quality, apart from silicone’s other properties. This is the ideal material for manufacturing molds or products that will come into contact with food. The safety and quality of each one of its components also make platinum silicone the ideal material for baby bottle nipples or surgery materials for hospitals. (Source)
Food-grade silicone:
Food-grade silicone uses peroxide as a catalyzer during the curing process, rather than the platinum that platinum silicone uses. As such, platinum silicone gives you a more pure product of higher quality and grade. While food-grade silicone is still perfectly safe to use with food (it’s called food-grade for a reason!), platinum silicone just gives you that extra peace of mind that you are giving your child the absolute best, and what parent doesn’t want to do that?
Silicone’s Curing Process: The Big Difference
As mentioned, the big difference between platinum silicone and food-grade silicone is the curing process. One is cured with platinum, the other is cured with peroxide. Let’s take a deeper dive into this process and why the material matters.
Platinum-cure technology has been accessible for quite a while, especially for applications that need high-purity products like medical equipment, food & beverage processing industry, and pharmaceutical application. In platinum cure silicone system, two different chemical groups react in the presence of platinum. It is also called an “addition cure” or two-part system. The detailing is more complicated as compared to peroxide compounds. It necessitates that the base silicone polymer contains vinyl functional groups.
Dissimilar to the peroxide cure system, platinum is a genuine catalyst. It is not ingested through the process. Practically, in the platinum cure system, the activity has to be technically decreased as the platinum-catalyzed response happens even at normal temperature and pressure. This first request response happens considerably more rapidly than one started by peroxide, as it doesn’t confide in the rate-deciding step.
To wind up, the two most broadly used silicone cure systems, i.e. peroxide cure system and platinum cure system, both offer safe and durable silicone rubber parts. However, they differ in procedures, efficiency, qualities, results, and cost.
When high quality, crucial quantities, or recurrent purification is all-important, the platinum cure system is the best choice. On the other hand, the peroxide cure system is a better choice for cost-effective, flexible, and undemanding products. It is normally, yet not all around, a more affordable option in contrast to platinum cured silicone and regularly displays longer pump life in peristaltic-pump applications. (Source)
Products Made of Platinum Silicone
Now that you know the difference between platinum silicone, food-grade silicone, and why the curing process makes such a difference in the product, you’re going to want to get your hands on all things made of platinum silicone! Luckily, one of our best-selling products is made of platinum silicone, and you and your whole family will love it for many more reasons than just it’s material makeup.
FLEX&LOCK KIDS FlexBox Set
Flex&lock Kids have practical use and fun at the same time, offering a new experience of lunchbox for family members. Made with Platinum Silicone, this material does not require plasticizers for its pliability. It's pure and heat resistant, so you can stop worrying about chemicals leaching into food when warming food.
In addition, The Flexnlock FlexBox Set is perfectly leak-proof without a rubber seal! The FlexPlate inside is made with platinum material, and FlexBox is made with ABS to be long-lasting. Together, they are specially designed to work to leak-proof seal without the need for a rubber gasket, and everything is detachable and super easy to clean! Seriously, all you need to do is put it in the dishwasher or boil it for a really deep clean.
The best part? The FlexPlate is Microwavable & Oven Safe! The tray is made with heat-resistant & BPA-Free platinum grade silicone, so all you need to do is simply remove the tray and reheat. It is safe for oven use and safe to microwave, making meal prep easier than ever. Prep their meal the night before while you’re making dinner right into the lunchbox, store in the fridge overnight, reheat in the morning, and send them on their way!
Enhance your kid's lunchtime experience with our top-quality lunchbox. Discover more details on our website or click here to order from Amazon!
For more of the best-quality products you can give to your family, visit us at innobaby.com!