What is a food grade lubricant?
A food grade lubricant is one which, should it come into contact with food during the production process, would pose no physiological hazard to the consumer or affect the food’s odour or taste. It is blended from ingredients that meet FDA requirements (see question 3 below) e.g. the base oil must be refined such that virtually no aromatic component is left or synthetic PAO (poly alpha olefin) is used together with additives that impart oxidation stability, rust protection, load-carry performance etc. Food grade lubricants are harmless when consumed, as long as the level in the food is below 10mg/Kg. On the other hand, if the lubricant used is not food grade, the tolerance limit is zero ppm !!
