Posted on July 25, 2025 by Keeen

Although these terms are often associated with “safety”, each has distinct technical definitions and regulatory requirements. This article provides clarity on their differences and offers guidance for selecting the right products for various business needs.

🥗 Understanding the Definitions and Uses:

🔹 1. Food Grade are substances that are safe to consume, or if unintentionally ingested in trace amounts, pose no health risks to humans.

Key Requirements: Free from heavy metals, toxic residues, or harmful substances or must comply with standards such as FDA (USA), EFSA (Europe), or Thai FDA

Typical Applications: Food ingredients: colorants, preservatives, sweeteners. Cleaners used on surfaces that come into direct food contact at the final stage including edible packaging films or coatings on produce

Example Business Use Cases: Food and beverage manufacturers, Seasoning, sauce, and processed food producers or businesses undergoing GMP, HACCP, or ISO 22000 audits

🔹 2. Food Contact Grade are substances that can come into direct contact with food without releasing harmful substances (migration) that could compromise food safety.

Key Requirements: Not required to be edible or must not leach, migrate harmful chemicals beyond allowed limits or must be fully washable or removable if they are cleaning agents

Typical Applications: Equipment, containers, conveyor belts used in food processing, gloves, hats, utensils, and food-handling tools and cleaners for food-contact surfaces like slicers, trays, tanks

Example Business Use Cases: Meat, dairy, and ready-to-eat food processing plants, OEM food production lines and businesses where equipment directly touches food

🔹 3. Bio-Based Cleaner : Cleaning products made from natural sources such as plant extracts, organic acids, enzymes, or selected microorganisms, designed to be biodegradable and environmentally safe.

Highlights: Gentle on skin and respiratory systems, reduces environmental impact; leaves no harmful residues. May or may not qualify as food contact safe depending on the formula

Typical Applications: Non-food contact areas like floors, walls, and storage rooms. Toilets, waste zones, and facility surroundings, wastewater treatment systems using microbial cleaners, also businesses aiming to reduce use of harsh chemicals like chlorine or caustic soda

Example Business Use Cases: Green-certified food factories, Restaurants, hotels emphasizing staff and consumer safety. General industries aiming to reduce carbon footprint.

🧾 Conclusion & Guidance for Business Operators

Choosing the right cleaning or material type is not just about cleanliness, but also mitigating legal risk, protecting health, and enhancing brand reputation.

If your business involves food or service operations, consider the following:

✅ Use Food Grade products in areas where food or ingredients come in direct contact with human mouths
✅ Ensure equipment or surfaces are compliant with Food Contact Grade standards if they touch food directly
✅ Apply Bio-Based Cleaners in surrounding zones for a safer, greener, and cost-efficient alternative

Using the wrong product type may lead to safety failures, compliance issues, and even product recalls, jeopardizing your operation and brand trust.

If you require tailored recommendations for your specific use case—whether it’s choosing the right KEEEN products for food-safe surfaces, production areas, or for sustainability-driven cleaning—our team is available to offer free consultations across all channels. We’ll help ensure your cleaning and hygiene solutions align with both operational needs and international standards.