We are a Chinese cardboard box manufacturer, and we are often asked by overseas customers whether this is food-safe material or food-grade material. Therefore, we wrote this article to help them understand the difference between the two and avoid confusion.
Last updated: October 2025 | Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
This article will answer your questions
- What does “food grade” mean on packaging?
- What does “food-safe” mean in packaging?
- What are the differences in characteristics between the two?
- What are the differences in restrictions between the two?
- How do the FDA, EU, and LFGB define food contact safety?
- Why is this difference so crucial for exports?
What is food-grade in packaging?
In simple terms, a material meets food contact safety standards. If a piece of PP plastic sheet or kraft paper, before printing or gluing, is tested and found to be free of heavy metals and BPA, and its migration levels meet standards, this indicates that it meets food grade standards.
When we tell a customer that the material is food-grade, it means that it is safe for food contact. It does not contain significantly hazardous substances and will not harm the human body.
However, often the base paper is food-grade, but after subsequent processes such as ink application, printing, lamination, and gluing, we cannot simply assess its safety status from the material level alone.
What is food-safe in packaging?
Food-safe means that the final product will not cause harm or contamination to food during actual use.
Our printed paper bowls use food-grade paper, but after printing ink, lamination, and adhesive bonding, they still pass LFGB or FDA migration tests. This is food-safe.
Food-safe is a higher standard than food-grade. It not only considers the raw materials but also requires safety throughout the entire process, including design, production, printing, and storage.
If you buy a ready-to-eat soup container, and the ink leaches or delaminates at high temperatures, it cannot be considered food-safe.
Characteristic difference
| Feature | Food-Grade | Food-Safe |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Safety of the raw material itself (composition, toxicity, purity). | Safety of the finished product in real-use conditions (design, printing, bonding, usage environment). |
| Testing / Certification | Tests for heavy metals, BPA, and migration limits. | Full finished-product testing: includes post-printing, lamination, adhesives, and migration tests under real-use conditions. |
| Application Scope | Applies at the material level. | Applies to the finished product and actual use environment. |
| Risk Point | A material may be safe, but later processing can compromise safety. | Requires control across the whole production chain. |
All food-safe packaging must be based on food-grade materials, but the reverse is not necessarily true.
Limitation difference
Food grade limitations:
- Materials meeting quality standards do not guarantee finished product quality.
- Ignoring the risks associated with subsequent processes: printing, bonding, lamination, etc.
- The material may undergo qualitative changes under certain usage conditions (high temperature, oils, acidic foods).
Food-safe restrictions
- High testing costs (finished product testing, migration testing, usage condition testing)
- It is necessary to control the entire production process: printing, adhesive bonding, lamination, and cleanroom.
- Exports to different regions must also comply with local regulations (EU, USA, Germany).
If you only inspect the materials but not the printed or final cardboard boxes, your packaging may be deemed “unacceptable” during customs or brand audits. This is also the reason for many low-priced cardboard boxes.
How do FDA, LFGB, and EU standards define food contact safety?
United States – FDA:
The Food and Drug Administration defines “food contact substance” as a substance that comes into contact with food but is not intended to act directly on food. It includes materials, adhesives, inks, etc.
The FDA requires migration and toxicology data to demonstrate that a substance is safe for its intended use.
European Union – Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 + Commission Regulation 10/2011:
The EU requires that all food contact materials must not endanger human health and must not have their composition altered by high temperatures or other environmental factors. The EU has specific regulations governing plastic layers.
Germany – LFGB:
Lebensmittel-, Bedarfsgegenstände- und Futtermittelgesetzbuch is the German Food, Consumer Goods and Feed Act. It imposes very strict testing requirements on food contact materials, often considered to exceed basic EU standards.
Why does the difference matter for exporting?
Our overseas clients, brands, and retailers require food-safety, not just food-grade. Therefore, we oversee the entire process to ensure the final product meets food safety standards. Click to contact us to start custom packaging boxes.
During customs and brand reviews, certifications that only cover materials and do not include printing/finished product testing may be rejected.
Standards differ in different markets (USA, EU, Australia), and compliance is only achieved if the export destination’s regulations are met.
If the packaging claims to be “food-grade” but the migration exceeds the standard after printing, it may cause recalls, brand liability, and insurance claims issues.
FAQs
Not necessarily. In the food packaging industry, "food-grade" indicates that the materials are safe for direct food contact, but it doesn't mean the final packaging is 100% safe during use. Further testing is required.
Food-grade materials are designed to come into contact with food; non-food-grade materials have not been tested to such standards and may contain harmful substances or pose a risk of migration.
Not necessarily. The standards, testing procedures, and migration limits of the US FDA and the EU/German LFGB may differ. This requires testing to be conducted according to the regulations of the export destination.
Conclusion
Now you should understand that “food-grade” refers to material-level safety, while “food-safe” refers to finished product-level safety. As an export packaging manufacturer, we are well aware of the difference between the two. You not only need to choose the right materials, but you must also control printing, bonding, usage conditions, and testing processes to truly achieve “exportable, compliant, and reliable” packaging.
Next steps recommended:
- Check all your current food packaging products: are the materials food-grade? Have the finished products undergone migration testing?
- If the customer requires the EU/German market, confirm whether there is an LFGB or EU 10/2011 test report.
- Clearly state in your product certification documents that “the finished product has been tested,” not just “the materials have been tested.” Use this as a selling point in your export marketing.
About XiangGe Package
We are XiangGe Package, a professional manufacturer providing food contact packaging solutions for the export market. We hold CE and UN38.3 certifications and offer testing services that comply with FDA, LFGB, and EU food contact standards. Our advantages include:
- We use certified food-grade materials and control the entire process of printing, bonding, and laminating to ensure that the finished product is food-safe.
- We design customized processes for export clients, providing a one-stop service from sample testing and certification documentation to contract terms support.
If you would like to obtain free samples, please contact us for professional advice.
Last updated: October 2025
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