Mr. Rawles:
I’m befuddled. My husband says that the new orange 5-gallon buckets they sell at Home Depot are the same as “food grade” buckets, because they are made of the same plastic. But my sister says they aren’t food grade. Who is right? Thanking You in Advance, – Lena in Indiana
JWR Replies: This has been discussed before in SurvivalBlog, but it comes up so often that it bears repeating: As I explain in the Rawles Gets Your Ready Family Preparedness Course, determining whether or not a plastic bucket is truly food grade can be a challenge. I’ve had several readers and consulting clients who have mistakenly been told that the the number 2 (with the number 2 inside the “chasing arrows” recyclable plastic symbol) refers to Food Grade HDPE, but that is not true. Not all “2” marked plastics are food grade!
Here is the distinction: The “food grade” designation is determined by plastic purity by and what mold release compound is used in the injection molding process–not by the plastic itself, since all virgin HDPE raw material is safe for food. For paint and other utility buckets, manufacturers sometimes use a less expensive (and toxic) mold release compound. For food grade they must use a more expensive formulation that is non-toxic. Unless the buckets that you bought are are actually marked “food grade”, (or, marked “NSF”, “FDA”, or “USDA” approved), then you will have to check with the manufacturer’s web site to see if they make all food grade buckets.
For more details, see the information at this barbecue and brining web site. (BTW, the same web page has some great advice on removing odors and stains from HDPE buckets.) If in doubt, then mark the suspect buckets to strictly non-food item storage, such as for storing cleaning supplies, clothing items, or ammunition.