Thoughts?
My understanding is that PLA is food safe, but the prints are not considered safe because the printer might introduce metal shavings into the piece.
3 Likes
Don’t the prints have micro holes on the surface where bacteria can harbor and grow?
How do they deal with that?
5 Likes
PLA isn’t really graded as food safe broadly, there are a few specific PLA rolls by some brands that have been rated food safe, but those are the exception. Polypropylene is the more common food safe material, and sunlu does carry one that has been certified. That being said, with the gaps between layers, it’s never really ideal, but for some use cases it works
1 Like
I never go to use my prints for anything medical, food, drink or anything related to enter in my body 
The gaps and “slots” it’s a bacteria grow zone, and you can ingest small plastic parts too when.
For me maker world need to make a flag for “unsafe” prints. Because a lot of people make things for food and kitchen.
A simple sponge dryer for the kitchen have dangers of bacteria/mold growing, for this kind of things need to be made in plastic mold with perfectly flat walls without space for grow things.
2 Likes
The plastic wisps and bits are a danger because they have pointy ends and can pierce membranes and move through the body.
And as has been mentioned, there’s lots of difficult or impossible to clean holes and crevices in printed parts that can hold food matter that can decay.
There are some vapor smoothing techniques for some plastics that can fix a lot of that but many don’t bother.
3D printed plastics aren’t really safe for food use. Those that do print food-contacting parts need to know, understand, and know how to mitigate dangers.
Sponges are intrinsically bacteria farms. I wouldn’t use them as an example of why not to use PLA in food service.
1 Like
The problem with this is the “sponge” also has dangers of bacteria/mold growing in it even if you use molded plastic sponge dryer.
Sponge is the disposable part of the equation, i change sponges every time i need (like all ppl).
But the printed item for hold another things isn’t a consumable in theory (sponge is only one example and is unnecessary talk about it, here is a discussion about safety).
Totally agree with that.
And medical ABS or others doesn’t solve this possible problems.
Consider that most factories making plastics meant to be food safe are done in a hermetic environment up to packaging, and that’s something your machine and your hands and your plate will have difficulty doing to the same rigor.
And of course the commonly known microbial habitat concern.
Probably best not to, or plan on it being a wasteful 1 time use.
Thanks all, much appreciated. Good info.
One option is to add a food-safe resin coating to the printed object. It adds cost and post-print work, but it may be worth exploring.